


Dawn of a New Life

by AngelDesaray



Series: Of Love and War [1]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy
Genre: Abuse, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Battle, Blood and Injury, Canon-Typical Violence, Canonical Character Death, Child Abuse, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Domestic Violence, Major Character Injury, Minor Character Death, Minor Injuries, Minor Violence, Non-Sexual Slavery, Past Character Death, Slavery, To Be Edited
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-23
Updated: 2018-03-23
Packaged: 2019-04-07 02:31:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 40,887
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14070960
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AngelDesaray/pseuds/AngelDesaray
Summary: Six-year-old Zelina Du'ahn is a slave child on Tatooine and best friend to Anakin Skywalker. The two of them have dreamt of leaving their planet and a life of slavery far behind to live lives of adventure for as long as they can remember. One day, they're handed the opportunity to do just that in the form of Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn, stranded on their rock of a home planet. But the two young children have no idea what they've just gotten themselves in for, or how difficult breaking away from their old life to start anew will truly be.





	1. Zelina Du'ahn

**Author's Note:**

> This first book is more of an introduction to the character and setting up the relationships she has between canon characters--not much is changed from the events of the movie in this book, which is why it is so short.

"Ani!"

Zelina Du'ahn was crouched behind some of the rusty droids in old Watto's shop, trying to keep out of the Toydarian's view. In her tiny hand she clutched a pod piece, taking great care to keep it more out of sight than even herself.

Anakin Skywalker's head swiveled in her direction, his attention pulled from the fan switches he was cleaning. A big grin danced across his face when he saw her, his eyes darting towards both doors to make sure the coast was clear before he made his way over to her.

"Zee! What're _you_ doing here?" he asked, though the answer was obvious. Why else would she risk getting caught by Watto lurking in the shop again?

"I managed to swipe this," Zelina said, pulling the piece into Anakin's view. "I thought it might be something you could use on that _secret project_ of yours."

Anakin smirked at her as he took the piece, examining it top to bottom. "An energy binder! I could use this. I'd tell you what for, but I know you won't know what I'm talking about."

She shook her head, now smiling herself. "No, no I wouldn't. I just thought this looked a little like that piece you were saying you needed."

"Where'd you get it?" Anakin asked, tucking it away safely where no one would notice.

"Oh, I was walking along and just happened across it…" Zelina said vaguely.

Anakin frowned. "I don't think that's what happened."

Suddenly she became very sheepish. "I…might have swiped it from Sebulba when he wasn't looking…"

"You _what_?" Anakin hissed. "Are you crazy? Sebulba's dangerous, why would you go asking for trouble with him!"

She shrugged before becoming defensive. "It's not like he needs it. Besides, he can afford to replace it. You need it more, Ani…" Zelina said quietly.

The two children heard Watto calling for Anakin, which immediately signaled the end of the conversation. "You better get out of here before Watto sees you. You know you won't get off easy like you did last time!" Anakin warned.

Zelina grinned. She had gained a reputation for swiping parts, and one day when she had been lurking in the store to try and talk to Anakin about something Watto had spotted her, thinking she was trying to steal parts. She'd been forbidden to ever walk in the store again, and what would happen if she did had been left to the imagination. Though she wasn't worried at all. Her own master was much scarier than Watto.

"You know me Ani, I'm too smart to get caught," she chuckled.

Anakin rolled his eyes. "See you!" he whispered before he scuttled away out of the room.

Zelina _was_ going to slip out the back door, but something warned her otherwise. Frowning, she slipped behind one of the droids, her small, six year old frame being able to fit easily into the hiding spot. Just as she got situated, Watto came by, a man walking behind him. Zelina looked at him curiously, quickly coming to the conclusion he was an outlander. He had a kind face, long brown hair that went to his shoulders, a neat beard, and twinkling blue eyes. The man turned his head in her direction, and Zelina froze in fear when his eyes locked on her own. Would he tell Watto? If he did then there was no telling the trouble she would be in…

The man gave a small smile, but said nothing, continuing to follow the Toydarian as Watto rattled off something about Nubian Cruiser hyper drive pieces. Curious, despite how risky it was, Zelina stayed hidden but followed after the two to figure out what was going on.

They disappeared out the back, and it took a few moments for Zelina to make it to the doorway without attracting any attention. Straining her ears, Watto's words floated over to her as she peeked her head around the corner, taking a risk at being caught.

"Republic Credits? Republic Credits are no good out here, I need something more _real_!"

"I don't have anything else, but credits will do fine." The man waved his hand in a small semi-circle and Zelina frowned. What was the man trying to do?

"No, they won't!"

"Credits _will_ do fine." Yet again, the man waved his hand.

" _No_ , they _won't_ ," Watto said angrily. "What, do you think you're some kind of _Jedi_ , waving your hand around like that? I'm a _Toydarian_ , mind tricks don't work on me—only money!"

Zelina gave a start. A _Jedi_? Was the man a Jedi?

"No money, no parts, no deal!"

Watto's voice broke through Zelina's thoughts, and she looked at the man who was supposedly a Jedi. He simply flashed a smile before it quickly disappeared and he turned around to come back through the shop.

Frantically, Zelina scrambled backwards, panicking. _Stupid_! She needed to get out of the shop right now or she'd never slip past Watto! She zipped out of the room, coming to a halt when she saw Anakin sitting on the counter talking to a girl. She looked older than Anakin, but the way he was looking at her sent a pang of jealousy through Zelina. Anakin's head turned to Zelina, surprise filling his face when he realized she was still in the shop.

"Zee, you gotta get out of here! If Watto sees you—" he started.

"What are you talking about Ani, I'm not here!" she said as she threw him a grin, making too sharp of a turn and tripping on her way out the door. She cursed, but picked herself back up and slipped around the corner just in time. She could hear the man's voice.

"We're leaving. Jar Jar."

There was some crashing, and Zelina heard the girl speak. "I'm glad to have met you, Anakin."

"I was glad to meet you, too!" Anakin called the same time the party arrived around the corner. Zelina shrunk back from the doorway some, though once again found the man's eyes on her.

"And what were you doing lurking about in there, little one?" he asked.

The girl's eyes fell on Zelina, and she started for a moment. "Hey, weren't you the one who just…"

"Girl!" barked a familiar voice, cutting the girl off from whatever she'd been about to say. Zelina jumped and winced, turning and running towards her master without answering the two. The woman towered over her, glaring at Zelina and grabbing her arm in a strong grip. "Where have you been, you no good piece of—"

"I was just getting something to eat, ma'am, I swear!" Zelina protested, trying not to wince at the nails digging into her arm.

"Yeah, more like stealing! Where are you hiding whatever you took, scum? Hand it over now and I _might_ give you some slack on your punishment."

"I didn't take anything, honestly, Shal'ma!"

" _Bah_!" the woman growled, shaking Zelina a little before dragging her along. "You're so much more trouble than you're worth, I might just sell you and be rid of you. I just have to find someone foolish enough to take you off my hands. Your father is so much more useful."

Zelina scowled, reluctantly letting Shal'ma lead her back to the dump of a cantina she was forced to work at.

Shal'ma dragged her into the back, practically throwing her towards the dirty dishes. "Get to work! And if you sneak away again girl, I'll make you regret it. You'll never be so foolish to slip away again!"

As Shal'ma walked out of the room, Zelina made a face at her retreating back, but still picked up the rag to start scrubbing at the nasty dishes piled high for her to take care of. Garth, the other servant who worked in the kitchens with Zelina, gave her a sympathetic look.

"You know, Zelina, she probably wouldn't be so rough if you would just follow her instructions and weren't always sneaking away," he said pointedly, ruffling Zelina's platinum blonde hair. She couldn't help but laugh a little, her bright blue-green eyes sparkling.

"I can't help it, Garth, you know I can't stand it here. Not for long, anyway. The first chance I get, I'm out of here!" Zelina stated firmly.

"You're starting to sound like that Skywalker kid you're always hanging around," Girth chided.

"And that's a bad thing?" Zelina asked with a grin, scrubbing absently at a cup that reeked of alcohol. "He's right to want off of this rock."

"Yes, but you two are far from getting away from here, let alone earning your freedom. Besides, could you really leave your father behind?"

Zelina hesitated. Why did Garth always have to bring her father into these discussions? After the loss of her mother, Zelina's father, Dar'shan, had been very protective. Zelina was all he had left. For a six year old, she was very well aware of their situation. She didn't think that she'd have the heart to leave if the opportunity really did present itself. Though at the same time, she couldn't stand to be here much longer…

"You know he needs you here," Garth said softly, turning to whatever he was doing. Zelina sighed but said nothing, not in the mood to argue with him today. Especially with a subject that would cause them to go around in circles conversationally for hours.

Zelina was content for a while, slowly working away at the pile of filth to make the dishes clean enough to be eaten off of. Slowly, though, unease started to settle in for some reason. She grew restless.

_I need to get out of this cramped trash hole_ , Zelina thought with a twinge of bitterness. She squirmed.

"You're not thinking of bolting _again_ , are you, Zelina? It won't be pretty if you do…" Garth warned her.

Zelina sighed, tossing the rag aside and turning with a sigh of exasperation. "I can't help it, I feel like I have to get out of here for air or something…its driving me crazy being stuck back here."

Garth sighed, looking away for a moment as he appeared to contemplate something. When he looked back at her, he was smiling slightly. "Alright…alright, go on, get your air; I'll finish these. If Shal'ma comes back here, I'll tell her you finished early."

Zelina smiled at him, giving him a quick peck on the cheek with a sweet smile. "Thank you, Garth!"

Garth chuckled, shaking his head. "Go on, before I change my mind."

Zelina grinning, rushing out of the cantina as inconspicuously as she possibly could and onto the street. She took a breath of fresh air, though her stomach still seemed to be doing flips. Walking as innocently and carefree as she possibly could, Zelina wandered aimlessly. After passing a few streets, she spotted Anakin.

_He must have gotten off early today_ , Zelina thought cheerily as she waved at him to get his attention. He spotted her, starting to make his way over, but a scene a little ways down the road from them caught their attention.

Sebulba, the pod racing slimeball that kept causing Anakin to lose his races, had ahold of the third member of the strange party from Watto's shop earlier. Both Anakin and Zelina frowned, though Anakin was closer, so when they moved to approach them and help, he reached the pair first.

"Careful, Sebulba, he's a big time outlander. I'd hate to see you diced before we race again," Anakin jeered.

Zelina approached from behind. "Yeah, it'd be a shame. I've been looking forward to seeing Anakin cream you."

"Shut it, thief!" Sebulba growled at Zelina before turning to snarl at Anakin. "Next time we race, boy, it will be the end of you. If you two weren't slaves, I'd squash you now!"

"Yeah, it'd be a shame if you had to pay for us," Anakin said smarmily, and Zelina chuckled while Sebulba walked away. The man from earlier approached, and Zelina suddenly felt very sheepish.

"Hi," said Anakin in an upbeat voice. Zelina simply blushed, standing shyly by Anakin's side.

"Hi there," the man responded, glancing Zelina's way and eyeing the two of them curiously.

"Your buddy here was about to be turned into orange goo. He picked a fight with a Dug, an especially _dangerous_ Dug called Sebulba."

Zelina nodded, and the third member spoke, though she couldn't make sense of a word he said. Thankfully, it appeared to be talking to Anakin, so she didn't have to respond.

"Nevertheless, the boy is right, you were headed into trouble. Thanks, my young friend," the man said, already turning to leave.

"But—but—but meesa doing nothing!" the creature squawked, and this time Zelina understood him.

"You could _breathe_ wrong and Sebulba would pick a fight with you," Zelina told the creature. Anakin was following the group and Zelina couldn't help but follow them also, as Anakin was able to persuade the group to follow him to Jira's fruit stand. Zelina hung back, simply watching as Anakin bought everyone some pallies.

"Here, you'll like these pallies. Here," Anakin said, tapping the man a little to get his attention. What had him so distracted?

"Thank you," he said, taking the fruit from Anakin. Both Anakin and Zelina's eyes zeroed in on the laser sword strapped to his waist, though they didn't say anything, simply shared a glance.

"Oh, my bones are aching! Storm's coming up, Ani, Zelina, you better get home quick!" Jira said to them.

"Do you have shelter?" Anakin asked them as they all turned to leave. Zelina hurried her pace to keep up with the group, continuing to listen.

"We'll head back to our ship," the man reassured him.

"Is it far?" Anakin asked.

"It's on the outskirts," the girl said.

"You'll never make it to the outskirts before that sandstorm hits," Zelina piped up. Yet again, the man shot her a look, and she returned to her sheepish, quiet state.

"Sandstorms are very, very dangerous," Anakin continued. "Come on, I'll take you to my place!"

Zelina smiled a little, hurrying to walk next to Anakin. At least her place was next to Anakin's, so she wouldn't have to worry about getting home. "They seem nice," she said quietly to him.

Anakin grinned. "They do, don't they? Are you going to stay with us at my house or go to yours?"

Zelina shrugged. "I'll stay with you guys, and if my father gets worried I can just go next door to tell him where I am."

Anakin nodded, seeming happy with all the company. "That's great! It's been a while since you came over: I've gotten really far with 3PO since you last saw him," Anakin told her.

"That's cool, Ani, I'd love to see him," Zelina said, the two sharing a smile as they continued on their way.

* * *

Qui-Gon Jinn watched the two blonde children as they led them to shelter from the rapidly approaching sandstorm, a light of curiosity having been sparked in him. The two chattered away happily, though Qui-Gon wasn't paying any attention to what they were saying. Instead, he was prodding at their Force Presences.

It seemed both of them were very strong in the Force.

The boy was much stronger in the Force it seemed than the girl, though the girl had a rather strong presence as well. What were the chances that their small little band would end up stranded on this planet and stumble across two Force Sensitive children? Qui-Gon was sure that this was the will of the Force for him to find these two. The problem, though, was what he was supposed to do about it, and if he _could_ do anything. Both of them, he knew, were slaves. That much was obvious.

Qui-Gon watched the two children, slowly coming to a decision. For now, he would watch and trust in the Force. Whatever its will was, it would provide a way. He would just have to remain open to the Force's promptings.

He was sure there was something very special about these two younglings.


	2. The Way Things Stand

"Mom! Mom, I'm home!"

Zelina and Anakin both routinely shook as much of the sand that clung to them off, walking into the tiny kitchen of Anakin's home. The sandstorm had hit, and Zelina felt relieved to be out of it and safely inside.

Shmi Skywalker, Anakin's mother, appeared around the corner. She smiled at Zelina before she noticed the rest of the party beside her son.

"These are my friends, Mom," Anakin said proudly, standing by the astromech droid.

"Hello," the creature said.

"I'm Qui-Gon Jinn," the man said to Anakin's mother.

 _Qui-Gon; so that's the Jedi's name_ , Zelina thought, glad that at least that mystery had been solved.

"I'm building a droid; do you want to see?" Anakin asked the girl. Zelina felt the increasingly familiar pang of jealousy at the eagerness in Anakin's voice, and instead focused on the conversation Qui-Gon was having with Shmi.

"Your son was kind enough to offer us shelter," Qui-Gon continued.

"Come on, I'll show you 3PO," Anakin said, grabbing the girl's hand and leading her away to his room. Zelina watched them go, but lingered in the room. She could see 3PO later. Maybe if she stayed here she'd learn more about this Qui-Gon man.

Shmi nodded towards Zelina. "Well then, I guess I should set a few extra places on the table. Zelina, sweetie, would you mind helping?"

Zelina nodded, bounding over to where she knew the dishes were kept. "Of course, Ms. Skywalker."

Shmi smiled a little at Zelina, watching the girl start to set the table. "Does your father know you're here?"

Zelina hesitated and shook her head. "No, he doesn't."

Shmi took a cup from the counter, placing it on the table. "Perhaps you should go tell him where you are first. I can handle this."

Zelina sighed, placing the plates she had held in her hands on the table. "All right…I'll be back."

With one more glance at the Jedi Qui-Gon, Zelina scurried out the door and to her own house, right next door.

* * *

It wasn't that much longer that Zelina returned to Anakin's house, keeping her head bowed as she turned the corner. From experience, she knew that Shmi would drop whatever she was doing to take care of her. She really didn't want anyone fussing over her, but she wasn't going to stay home, either.

Unfortunately for Zelina, her father had been drunk when she'd gone over to the house.

Zelina sighed, leaning in the doorway with her face turned to the shadows. She could hear Qui-Gon's voice floating towards the kitchen from where he stood just outside in the back, though she couldn't make sense of anything he was saying.

Qui-Gon turned and re-entered the room, apparently finishing his conversation. The Jedi's eyes fell on the sulking child, and seconds later, Shmi noticed her as well.

"What did he say?" she asked Zelina.

"I'm staying here tonight," Zelina mumbled evasively. Shmi, having known the child for quite a while now, recognized her tone of voice immediately and went to kneel in front of the child.

"Let me see," Shmi said gently. Reluctantly Zelina turned her head towards Shmi, the nasty bruise forming on the side of her face obvious in the light from the kitchen. Shmi sighed, picking the girl up and setting her on the table. "Stay here, I'll be right back."

As Shmi left the room, Anakin returned, the girl in tow. His eyes zoomed in on the bruise on Zelina's face and he frowned, going over to her. "Again?" he asked in exasperation.

Zelina simply shrugged in answer.

"Why do you still stay with him?" Anakin asked with a frown, obviously upset.

"You know why, Ani," Zelina said simply in reply before she turned her head away from him, signaling that the conversation was over.

Shmi came into the room, a damp rag in her hand. "You can sleep where you usually do, Zelina. It's not a problem."

Anakin nodded as his mother put the cool rag against the bruise, being very careful not to hurt Zelina any more by accident. "I'll have to move a few things out of the way, but there's space for you to sleep in my room."

"Thanks, Ani," Zelina told him gently.

"Does this happen often?" Qui-Gon asked steadily. The question was directed at Zelina, his blue eyes probing, curious, it seemed.

Zelina hesitated but felt there was no harm in telling the man. "Only when he's drunk, Sir."

"Your father?" Qui-Gon guessed.

Zelina simply nodded, and Qui-Gon let the subject drop. The girl continued to watch Zelina with worry in her eyes but said nothing.

Shmi sighed, taking the rag back. "There's not much we can do about it. Why don't you take a seat, it's almost ready," she said, gesturing to the meal she was getting ready to set on the table. Zelina smiled at her and took her usual seat at the table beside Anakin. The rest sat down as well, Qui-Gon and the girl sitting at the ends of the table, and the creature sitting down across from Zelina and Anakin.

Zelina wasn't discrete as she watched Qui-Gon while everyone chatted away. She was curious. What was a Jedi doing on their rock of a planet? He'd been looking for parts, perhaps his ship had crashed or something. And what was with this girl and this creature, why were they with him?

Vaguely she realized that everyone else around the table was talking about slavery. _What a wonderful supper subject_ , Zelina thought with dark humor.

"All slaves have a transmitter placed inside their bodies somewhere," Shmi was saying.

"I've been working on a scanner to try and locate mine," Anakin said. Zelina listened only half-heartedly. As far as she knew, Anakin had not had any luck in that endeavor.

"Any attempt to escape…" Shmi started, though she trailed off with a glanced towards Zelina.

"And they blow you up! Boom!" Anakin said, and Zelina flinched, painful and fuzzy memories flooding to her. Only Qui-Gon and Shmi seemed to notice, though.

"How rude!" the creature commented.

"I can't believe there's still slavery in the Galaxy," the girl said. "The Republic's anti-slavery laws are—"

"The Republic doesn't exist out here. We must survive on our own," Shmi said.

The creature's long tongue shot out, snatching up a piece of fruit from the bowl in the middle. Zelina shot it a glare. She was coming to find she didn't like this creature very much. He was very annoying and clumsy, and easily got on Zelina's nerves. However, she didn't say anything and neither did anyone else around the table, though they too shot the creature a disapproving look.

"Excuse me," the creature said, and Zelina rolled her eyes.

"Has anyone ever seen a podrace?" Anakin asked after a few beats of silence. Zelina perked up a little. She loved watching Anakin podrace. At least, whenever Anakin wasn't close to being run over by Sebulba.

"They have podracing on Malastare. Very fast, very dangerous," Qui-Gon commented.

"I'm the only human who can do it," Anakin continued.

"He's the best there is!" Zelina chipped in, successfully causing Anakin to blush.

"You must have Jedi reflexes if you race pods," Qui-Gon commented. The creature went to snag another piece of fruit with his tongue and Qui-Gon's hand snapped up, catching the creature's tongue as fast as it had shot out. "Don't do that again," he chided.

Zelina chuckled, though the laughter faded as a serious mood settled over her and her friend. "You're a Jedi Knight, aren't you?" Anakin finally asked. Zelina's eyes swiveled to Qui-Gon, curious as to what he would say.

"What makes you think that?" Qui-Gon asked.

"I saw your laser sword. Only Jedi carry that kind of weapon," Anakin said confidently.

"Perhaps I killed a Jedi and took it from him," Qui-Gon said, sitting back.

Zelina smirked, shaking her head, though Anakin spoke before she could mention what she had seen earlier. "I don't think so. No one can kill a Jedi."

"I wish that was so…" Qui-Gon said.

"And I saw you with Watto in the back of his shop. You tried to use a Jedi mind trick on him. Or at least that's what he said," Zelina chipped in.

Qui-Gon smiled a little at her, but Shmi suddenly cut in.

"You were at Watto's?" she asked sharply, and Zelina hung her head sheepishly.

"I needed to see Ani…" she said defensively.

"You know what would happen if Watto ever caught you lurking in that shop again," Shmi chided.

"I never stole anything from him, honest!" Zelina protested.

"I believe you Zelina, but still, its best you don't go in there…" Shmi said.

Zelina sighed, but Qui-Gon cut in. "You're a thief?" he asked. It wasn't accusing, just inquiring.

Obviously he'd caught the way Zelina had worded her statement about stealing from Watto and was curious.

"Only when I need to be…or to help friends out. If they're not up to trouble, anyway," Zelina said shyly.

"I see," said Qui-Gon simply, apparently slightly amused.

There was a few more moments of silence before Anakin picked up with the conversation they'd been having before Shmi had chided Zelina.

"I had a dream I was a Jedi. I came back here and freed all the slaves."

"I wish," Zelina whispered.

"Have you come to free us?" Anakin continued.

"No, I'm afraid not," Qui-Gon responded.

 _Of course not_ , thought Zelina with a small twinge of bitterness.

"I think you have. Why else would you be here?"

Zelina leaned forward at the question, curious to here why the Jedi _was_ here. Qui-Gon seemed to exchange a glance or two with his companions before he leaned forward.

"I can see there's no fooling you, Anakin…or you, Zelina, for that matter. We're on our way to Coruscant, the central system of the Republic, on a very important mission."

"How did you end up out here in the Outer Rim?" Anakin asked.

"Our ship was damaged, and we're stranded here until we can repair it," the girl said quietly.

"I can help! I can fix anything!" Anakin said.

Qui-Gon laughed softly. "I believe you can. But first we must acquire the parts we need."

"But you don't have anything to get those parts," Zelina guessed, remembering the conversation Qui-Gon had with Watto.

"No, we don't," Qui-Gon confirmed.

"These junk dealers must have a weakness of some kind," the girl said.

"Gambling. Everything around here revolves around those awful races," Shmi said.

"Podracing…greed can be a powerful ally," Qui-Gon mused.

"I built a racer. It's the fastest ever. There's a big race tomorrow on Boonta Eve. You could enter my pod!" Anakin said excitedly. Zelina watched the conversation, intrigued by the direction it was taking.

"Anakin! Watto won't let you!" Shmi said.

"Watto doesn't know I've built it! You could make him think it was yours and get him to let me pilot it for you!"

"I don't want you to race; it's awful, I die every time Watto makes you do it!"

"But Mom, I love it! The prize money would more than pay for the parts they need!"

"Anakin…"

"Your mother's right, Anakin. Is there anyone friendly to the Republic who can help us?" Qui-Gon asked.

"No," Shmi said softly.

Anakin thought for a moment. "Mom, you say the biggest problem in this universe is that nobody helps each other…"

Shmi sighed, though the girl was the one who spoke. "I'm sure Qui-Gon doesn't want to put your son in danger. We'll find some other way."

Shmi sighed. "No, there is no other way. I may not like it, but he can help you. He was meant to help you."

Anakin looked up in surprise and smiled a little, though Zelina didn't miss the contemplative look that Qui-Gon watched Anakin with. For the rest of the meal, Zelina watched him, and she noticed that Qui-Gon glanced her way a few times as well, smiling warmly whenever they made eye contact. Soon, the meal was finished, and Zelina offered to help clean the dishes, as did Qui-Gon. Anakin brought the girl back to see 3PO again, and Shmi cleaned off the table.

"So little one, you live with your father. Where's your mother?" Qui-Gon asked gently.

Zelina found herself very interested in the plate she was cleaning. "She died a long time ago…" Zelina muttered.

Qui-Gon's face softened and he nodded sympathetically. "I'm sorry."

Zelina shrugged, but didn't say anything, continuing to wash the dishes in front of her. When Qui-Gon went to the table to retrieve another dirty dish, Zelina heard Shmi give him a quiet explanation Zelina knew she was not meant to hear.

"Her mother tried to escape when Zelina was very young. Her transmitter was activated. The girl saw the whole thing," Shmi spoke quietly to Qui-Gon.

Zelina pretended to ignore them, though she didn't miss the fact that Qui-Gon's eyes remained on her for the rest of the night until she finally went to bed. She curled up on the floor of Anakin's room, her hands acting as her pillow. Anakin hopped down from his bed, silently going over to where 3PO was. She heard fabric ruffling, and soon he had draped the cloth around Zelina to act as a blanket.

"Thank you, Ani…" Zelina mumbled, keeping her eyes closed.

"Anytime," Anakin responded quietly before he climbed back into his own bed.

Zelina sighed, wrapping the blanket around herself tightly before, after a few shifts to find a more comfortable position, she slipped off into sleep.

* * *

_There were two vibrant red lights, a radiant green light, and a blazing blue light. They pierced through the darkness first, and Zelina curiously made her way to them, entranced by the bright colors. The closer she got, the more she saw. There were three men in a large room: a red man wielding the two red lights, which Zelina now saw was one long laser sword, faced two other men. One she recognized as Qui-Gon, holding the green laser sword, the other held the blue laser sword, though she did not recognize him. Curious, Zelina drew closer to the man with the blue sword, feeling as if he was important somehow. She studied his features, taking in the auburn hair and blue/gray eyes. A braid swung loosely as the young man ran towards Qui-Gon and the red man._

_Zelina reached out to touch the young man, to get his attention, and was met with several different pictures._

_This young man sat with her, speaking in quiet, soothing tones._

_She stood with the young man, the two of them talking in solemn tones._

_The man appeared older, and there was another young man with them, someone very handsome that looked suspiciously like Anakin…_

_Looking tired and dirty, the young man had grown a beard, and now moved with ease beside Zelina, who suddenly felt older and much taller. A blonde woman stayed behind them, and it appeared that they were protecting this other woman…_

_Zelina was pulled out of the rapidly moving images as she heard an agonized cry of 'No!' pierce through them, bringing her back to the original scene she had been watching. The young man's face was twisted in pain, his eyes frozen on something behind Zelina._

_She turned to see what he was looking at, dread settling in her stomach…_

* * *

Zelina woke up with a start, glancing around the dark room wildly, her shallow breathing echoing around her.

She finally came to her senses, and her breathing slowed. She could hear Anakin's own even, peaceful breathing. He was still asleep.

Zelina groaned quietly, sinking back to the hard floor that was serving as her bed. Several thousand thoughts ran through her head as she wondered what kind of a dream that had been. She kept coming back to two main questions:

Who were the other two men, and what had happened to cause the first young man so much pain?

* * *

Qui-Gon sat a little straighter from where he was situated on the ledge. He could feel the little one's brief distress before she went back to sleep. Qui-Gon frowned. It must have been a nightmare.

Thoughtfully, Qui-Gon stared off in the direction of the room that the two younglings were sleeping in with a contemplative look. They had both captured his attention, and curiosity was starting to win him over.

Perhaps, if only for the sake of knowing, he would try to test their midi-chlorian count. He had a feeling both would have a high count.

But that could wait until tomorrow…


	3. Injuries

When Zelina woke up the next morning, the first thing she realized was that her back hurt. The second thing she noticed was the pair of bright round eyes staring at her.

Startled, Zelina shot upright from where she'd been on the ground.

"Oh, I'm sorry if I startled you! I am—"

"3PO…" Zelina said with a sigh, lying back down on the floor. "Don't do that to me. If someone's sleeping you don't hover over them, alright?"

"I'm sorry miss; I'll not do it again."

Zelina shook her head a little. "3PO, what time is it?"

"Well, Master Anakin already left for Watto's shop—"

Zelina started. Already? She was supposed to be at the cantina by now! Scrambling to her feet, Zelina ran a hand through her hair a few times. "Oh no, I'm late..." She mumbled, scurrying out the door without a backwards glance. Shmi glanced at her in surprise when Zelina coasted around the corner.

"Zelina, I thought you'd already left?" she said startled. Zelina shook her head.

"No, I'm going to be late," she groaned. Shmi gave her a worried look as Zelina scuttled out the door and made her way as quick as she could back to the filthy cantina.

Lucky for her, Shal'ma was not there when Zelina slipped into the kitchen. Garth looked up from what he was doing, frowning. "Shal'ma isn't happy Zelina. You're in for it this time…"

Zelina sighed, shaking her head and resigning herself to the growing pile of filthy dishes she decided to do first. "I know…there's nothing I can do about it…"

Garth's frown deepened, though the look he gave her was defiantly one of curiosity. Thankfully, he chose not to say anything about the bruise on the side of her face; he was used to it by now. Instead, he chose to speak very quietly and briefly. "I hope for your sake it isn't as bad as I suspect it will be…"

Zelina flinched. Shal'ma's disciplines could be quite…cruel, to say the least. The best Zelina could do was silently prepare herself for what was to come and silently go about her chores to get out of the filthy place as soon as possible. She had to be out early anyway today: the pod race was today and she was supposed to help Anakin with the speeder.

Zelina scowled. Punishment or not, Zelina was going to be there for her friend. Shal'ma could whip or hit her as much as she wanted afterwards; Zelina was _going_ to help Anakin.

Zelina felt a tug in her gut, her stomach seeming to twist around in knots as she glanced around the room. She had a bad feeling…

Shal'ma appeared around the corner and Zelina couldn't help but pale a little at the sight of her, almost losing her grip on the dish she was washing. Shal'ma's cruel eyes narrowed on her, and Zelina stood straighter; an action that only served to anger Shal'ma more. Zelina knew why. Shal'ma's slaves were not supposed to hold any pride. They were supposed to be broken and disposable, but Zelina refused to be anything like that.

Despite the fact she knew she would only make it worse, Zelina still struggled as Shal'ma dragged her out back.

* * *

Qui-Gon put away his comm link as he slowly descended the stairs, watching Anakin as he worked on the ship a little ways away. He hadn't yet had a chance to test the boy's midi-chlorian count, or the girl for that matter, but he was sure the opportunities would present themselves.

Speaking of the girl…

She was supposed to be here a while ago. Frowning, Qui-Gon glanced around, worried something might have happened to her. He had picked up that the girl tended to find her way into trouble, whether on purpose or accidentally seemed to depend on the situation. If she didn't appear soon, Qui-Gon would have to set out to find her, if only to be sure that she was all right.

Shmi Skywalker walked out of the house, coming to a stop beside Qui-Gon with a small smile. He returned the look. "You should be very proud of your son. He give's without any thought of reward."

"Well he knows nothing of greed," Shmi said quietly. "He has, um…"

"He has special powers?" Qui-Gon finished for her. Just as he'd suspected…

Shmi nodded. "Yes…"

"He can see things before they happen. That's why he appears to have such quick reflexes. It's a Jedi trait," he told her gently as they both watched Anakin tinker away at his pod.

"He deserves better than a slaves life…" Shmi said sadly.

"Had he been born in the Republic we would have identified him right away. The Force is unusually strong in him, that much is clear…who was his father?"

Shmi looked away for a moment. "There was no father."

Qui-Gon felt surprise rush through him, though he kept his face impassive as Shmi continued. "I carried him, I gave birth, I raised him…I can't explain what happened…"

Qui-Gon nodded almost absentmindedly, his mind rushing. If what she said was true, and he believed that she was indeed telling the truth, than this boy…there was no other explanation…

"Can you help him?"

Qui-Gon glanced at Shmi. "I do not know," he said truthfully. "I didn't actually come here to free slaves."

It seemed she caught on to the fact he had said _slaves_ instead of _slave_ , and she looked at him in apparent confusion for a few moments. Laughter pulled his attention away from her, and he watched a group of children approach Anakin, talking to him excitedly. His eyes wandered away from her to a tiny figure he saw sliding along in the shadows. His eyes narrowed, and he looked closer. He couldn't help but feel a little surprise as he realized that the person in the shadows was the young girl, Zelina. She seemed to be trying to avoid being spotted by the group of children below them, Anakin included. He frowned, noticing the girl was limping, walking slowly and painfully.

Zelina noticed him, and very carefully made her way over to Qui-Gon and Shmi. Shmi took in her fragile state and kneeled in front of the weaving girl. "What's wrong sweetie?"

"I don't want him to worry. Don't tell Ani…" the girl murmured before she collapsed. Qui-Gon and Shmi both caught the girl, and Qui-Gon was disgusted to see the dark red stains that were still blooming over the back of her shirt. Shmi's face paled a little as she quickly brought the girl inside, being as careful with her as she could.

After lying the girl down, Shmi pulled back the shirt to inspect the damage it was hiding. Whatever color was left in her face drained away as she put the shirt back down, starting to scurry away to get what Qui-Gon could guess was medical supplies. "That woman's a monster: she's only a child…" he heard Shmi whisper under her breath.

When Shmi disappeared around the corner, Qui-Gon pulled back the small child's shirt to see the damage for himself. He was deeply disgusted, taking in the deep whipping cuts that ran the length of the girls back. He might not have come here to free slaves, but surely he could do something for these two children. Qui-Gon feared that this child specifically wouldn't be able to last much longer if she didn't get help soon.

His initial intentions of getting her midi-chlorian count had almost left his mind, though now he pulled out what he needed almost subconsciously, taking a small amount of the blood on the child's back, doing his best to dispel his unease and disgust into the Force.

Shmi returned, bandages and other necessities in her arms. She saw the device in Qui-Gon's arms and raised an eyebrow questioningly.

"I'll have my apprentice back on our ship check for any infections," Qui-Gon told her truthfully.

Shmi nodded. "That would probably be best…"

Qui-Gon hesitated by the child. "Will you be able to take care of her?"

Shmi nodded. "Yes, I can. Go on ahead and have her checked, I want to know if there's any infections _before_ I patch her up."

Qui-Gon nodded and walked out to the back, contacting Obi-Wan once again. "Obi-Wan, I need you to run this blood sample for a midi-chlorian count…and infections."

"Of course Master," came Obi-Wan's voice promptly. There was a few moments of silence before he voiced his question. "Was someone hurt?"

Qui-Gon hesitated for a moment. "Yes…not anyone in our little party, but a friend we've gained," Qui-Gon said quietly.

"Will they be alright?" Obi-Wan said, the concern obvious in his voice.

Qui-Gon sighed. "Yes, she probably will."

"She?" Obi-Wan asked, apparently startled.

"There's a Force Sensitive slave girl here as well, nearly as strong as the boy. She's badly hurt; most definitely a punishment from her owner," Qui-Gon said grimly.

Obi-Wan sighed. "I'll never understand why slavery still exists in the Galaxy…"

Qui-Gon shook his head a little. "Do you have the results yet?"

"Just a moment…" Qui-Gon waited patiently for a few seconds before Obi-Wan spoke yet again. "Your right Master…she _is_ very powerful in the Force…"

Qui-Gon's eyebrows raised a little at the awe In Obi-Wan's voice. "What's the count?"

"Roughly...nineteen thousand," Obi-Wan said. "Master…You said this girl was not nearly as strong as the boy…if she's got this high of a count…"

"There's no telling how strong with the Force the boy truly is…" Qui-Gon mumbled. "I'll get a sample from him too. I have a feeling…"

Qui-Gon didn't finish his thought out loud. _I have a feeling that leaving these two on this planet is not an option._

"Master, there's no infections either in her blood. It's clean as far as I can see."

Obi-Wan's voice broke Qui-Gon out of his train of thought. "All right Obi-Wan. I will contact you again when I have a sample from the boy for you to test."

"Alright Master. Be careful."

"I'll be fine Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon assured him.

* * *

Zelina pushed against the heavy darkness that was surrounding her, fighting to open her eyes. She groaned a little, feeling a familiar hand against her forehead.

"Shh…it's alright Zelina, you're alright now."

Zelina's eyes fluttered open. Her back throbbed in pain, though it wasn't anything near the searing agony it had been earlier. She must have been treated while she was out. Turning her head, Zelina took in Qui-Gon and Shmi standing beside her.

"What happened?" she managed to slur out.

"We were hoping you could tell us," Qui-Gon said gently.

Zelina sighed, closing her eyes again. "I was late and I was too spirited," she said flatly.

Shmi gave a worn out sigh herself, rubbing Zelina's shoulder gently. "Well, you're alright now. You _have_ to learn to be more careful Zelina, one of these days you won't be so lucky."

Zelina suppressed the shiver of premonition that went through her, opening her eyes again to give Shmi her stubborn look. "I don't care. She's not going to break me, I won't let her. I won't change who I am because of a status," Zelina said, grumbling her usual spiel.

Qui-Gon seemed to have a flicker of admiration and amusement flicker across his face. Shmi only shook her head again. "That kind of thinking is going to get you killed one of these days Zelina."

Zelina set her jaw. "I don't care." She relaxed a little, rubbing her eyes for a second. "Is Ani done with his pod?"

"Nearly," Qui-Gon told her. "I think he was waiting for you to show up to finish it."

Zelina blushed a little. "I should probably go out there…"

Shmi shook her head. "No, you need to rest."

"He's waiting for me. Besides, I'll be fine, it's not like I'm going to be lifting anything heavy. Just help him here and there. And I want to see it," Zelina said stubbornly.

Shmi sighed. "I can tell there's no arguing with you Zelina…but you really should rest."

"I will…but Shal'ma wants me far from the pod race today, so I have to be careful when I go to watch…" Zelina said.

Shmi's face darkened. "I don't think you should cross your master again today Zelina. Perhaps you should stay home."

"No!" Zelina protested, sitting up quickly and flinching at the flaming that went up her back at the motion. Qui-Gon put a hand on her shoulder, but she kept her gaze on Shmi. "I have to go, I have to see Ani race, I have to!"

Shmi's eyes glimmered apprehensively. "I don't want to see you hurt anymore Zelina."

"I'll be fine, I can be careful, she won't see me, I promise! I have to watch him race…" Zelina said, slowly trailing off. She sighed. "I'm going to go help him now…"

She slowly got down from the bed Shmi had laid her on, gingerly making her way out of the room, out of the small house, and over to Anakin and his pod. When she approached, his face lit up.

"Zee, you made it!" he said cheerfully.

She smiled at him warmly, already putting on her façade so he wouldn't know she was hurt. "How's the pod coming along, is it going to run?"

"Of course it is!" Anakin said almost defensively.

"It's time we found out." Qui-Gon's voice behind Zelina made her jump, though Qui-Gon's steady hand on her shoulder calmed her almost immediately. He handed something to Anakin. "Here, use this power source."

"Yes sir!" Anakin said happily, shooting Zelina a grin at the same time he got in his pod. Qui-Gon very carefully lead her away from the pod, a safe distance from it as everyone else cleared out of its way as well.

Anakin flipped a few switches, testing out the pod as he started to work on getting the pod running. Slowly, the machine sputtered to life, and Zelina heard his overjoyed shouts. "It's working! It's working!"

Zelina grinned looking up at Qui-Gon. The Jedi had a small smile on his face, though he seemed contemplative. Either way, Zelina looked over at Anakin, a wide grin on her face. "This race is going to be amazing. There's no way he'll lose this one," she said happily, radiating the same happiness as her friend.

"I'm sure he will win," Qui-Gon commented.

Call it a feeling, but Zelina couldn't agree more.


	4. The Race

When the time for the pod race drew near, Zelina went with Qui-Gon to the arena to get everything set up. Surprisingly, the Jedi had requested that Zelina come, and she had the suspicion he wanted to keep a close eye on her because of her injuries. She appreciated his concern, but she didn't really think it was necessary. She'd had much worse.

Zelina stayed behind Qui-Gon the entire time, silently watching as he entered Anakin's pod into the race. As they walked back to the place that they would be meeting the others, Qui-Gon put a hand very carefully on her shoulder, most likely minding her wounds. "How's your back?"

Zelina looked up at him sheepishly. "I'll be fine."

Qui-Gon smiled a little. "I'm sure we have supplies on the ship. After Anakin wins this race perhaps I could find the materials to treat it better so it doesn't hurt so much."

Zelina nodded. "Thank you."

Qui-Gon seemed to be thinking about something. "Where is your master, usually," he asked carefully.

Zelina shrugged. "Watching these races or in the cantina she runs usually."

"Alright," Qui-Gon said, a thoughtful look on his face. Zelina was suspicious about what the Jedi was thinking about, but didn't say anything. Instead the two of them made their way to where Anakin's pod was. It didn't take Watto long to appear on the other side of Qui-Gon.

Watto shot Zelina a suspicious look before speaking to Qui-Gon. "Keeping company with the local thief now, eh?" Watto gave a slight chuckle, shaking his head. When Qui-Gon didn't say anything, Watto changed the topic. "I want to see your spaceship the moment the race is over!"

Qui-Gon was unfazed by Watto's demanding tone. "Patience my blue friend, you'll have your winning's before the suns set. And we'll be far away from here."

"Not if your ship belongs to me I think, huh?" Watto chuckled a little and Zelina rolled her eyes. "I warn you, no funny business!"

"You don't think Anakin can win?" Qui-Gon asked, hands on his hips as he stopped walking. Zelina glanced curiously between the two. What was Qui-Gon up to?

"Don't get me wrong though, I have great faith in the boy, he's a credit to your race. But, uh, Sebulba is going to win I think."

Watto chuckled and Zelina scowled. Of course that cheating slimeball would be in this race. _I hope Anakin will be alright_ , Zelina though, remembering the last time the two were in the same race. With a start, she realized that they had come to a stop by Sebulba and his machine. As discreetly as she could, Zelina slipped behind Qui-Gon. She wasn't _afraid_ of the Dug…she just believed she had gotten in enough trouble for one day. She _had_ taken the part she had given to Anakin from Sebulba.

Qui-Gon noticed Zelina's avoidance of the Dug but didn't say anything about it. Instead, he eyed Watto. "Why do you think that?"

"He always wins!" Watto laughed, flying away from Sebulba. "I'm betting everything on Sebulba!"

A light of mischievousness seemed to flash in Qui-Gon's eyes. "I'll take that bet."

"You what?" Watto asked sharply. Zelina looked up at Qui-Gon, startled. What was the Jedi doing _now_?

"I wager my new racing pod against, let's say…" Qui-Gon feigned his contemplation of what he wanted from Watto. "The boy and his mother."

"What?" Zelina said loudly, startled. Qui-Gon didn't look at her, but held firm, arms folded over his chest.

"No _pod_ is worth _two slaves_ , not by a long shot!" Watto said angrily.

"The boy then," Qui-Gon said simply. Zelina glanced between the two. Was Anakin really being wagered right now? Was her friend's freedom going to be a possibility in this race? She held her breath in anticipation of Watto's answer.

"Well…" Watto struggled with himself for a moment. "We let fate decide, huh? I just _happen_ to have a chance cube here. Blue, it's the boy, red…his _mother_."

Zelina scowled at Watto. Of course he would try to swindle Qui-Gon out of freeing Anakin. He was too valuable to Watto. Qui-Gon nodded his agreement, and Watto rolled the cube.

Zelina didn't miss the fact that as the cube rolled, Qui-Gon held out his hand. The cube rolled across the floor, and for one breathless moment Zelina thought it was going to land on red. However, the cube came to a firm standstill on blue, and Zelina felt her heart soar. If Anakin won this race…he was going to have his freedom.

Watto glared at Qui-Gon, his fist clenched. "You won this small toss outlander, but you won't win the race! So it makes no difference!" Watto snarled, flying away without another word.

Qui-Gon simply smiled triumphantly at the retreating Toydarian, as did Zelina. That triumphant smile only grew when she saw Anakin and the others approaching. Qui-Gon put a hand on Zelina's shoulder before she could run and tell Anakin the news.

"Don't tell him. I'd hate to get his hopes up just in case he doesn't win. I'll tell him afterwards," Qui-Gon told Zelina quietly.

Zelina hesitated, but understood what he meant. "Alright Qui-Gon."

As they approached the others, Watto's voice floated towards them. "Better stop your friend's betting, or I'll end up owning him too," Watto was telling Anakin in Huttanese. Zelina and Anakin had a similar scowl as Watto flew away.

"What did he mean by that?" Anakin asked Qui-Gon curiously.

"I'll tell you later," Qui-Gon reassured him, helping Shmi down from her mount. Zelina went over to Anakin.

"Do you need me to help with anything?" she asked.

Anakin shook his head. "Nah, I'm all set."

Zelina grinned. "Don't worry Ani, I _know_ you'll finish this time!"

The girl that was traveling with Qui-Gon was startled. "You've never won a race?" she asked Anakin in a mixture of surprise and worry.

 _Whoops_ … _I probably shouldn't have said that..._

"Well, not _exactly…"_ Anakin said slowly.

"Not even finished?" the girl asked sharply.

"Zee's right, I'll win this time!" Anakin exclaimed, putting an arm around Zelina's shoulders. She winced when his arm fell on her wounds. She was starting to regret not telling him about the injury: Anakin was prone to slaps on the back and such.

Qui-Gon came up and placed his hands on Anakin's shoulders, giving Zelina a sympathetic look. "Of course you will," Qui-Gon told Anakin. Zelina didn't miss the look he gave the girl, who still seemed in shock.

Zelina nodded to the pod. "Come on Ani, we better get you ready for the race!" she said eagerly, slipping out from under his arm to start getting the pod ready.

Anakin rushed over to her side. "Careful Zelina!"

"I'm being careful Ani, calm down!"

Qui-Gon chuckled at them.

All too soon they were pulling his racer into the arena. Zelina could hear the announcer's voice echoing all around the stands as they made their way to Anakin's starting point. Anakin checked and rechecked the pod even as they were walking, and Zelina laughed a little.

"Calm down Ani, everything's going to be different this time. You'll win, I know you will."

Anakin grinned at her. "Thanks Zee."

Zelina chuckled a little. "It's the truth!"

Anakin started to hook up his engines, pausing to wave when the announcers said his name. Zelina hooked up the opposite engine before going over to give her final good lucks. Everyone else seemed to line up to do the same.

"Good luck out there Ani!" she said anxiously.

Shmi got down on one knee in front of him and Zelina got out of the way. "Be safe…" she said simply.

"I will Mom, I promise," Anakin said quietly.

Shim smiled and reluctantly stood, heading back towards the lift that would rise to give them a perfect view of the finish line. Zelina stayed with Anakin, giving him a tight hug out of nowhere. "I know you'll win Ani, but still, like your mom said, be careful!"

Anakin laughed a little. "I will, I will!"

An unpleasant yet familiar voice interrupted them. "You won't walk away from this one, you slave scum," Sebulba sneered at Anakin in Huttanese.

Anakin glared back at him. "Don't count on it slimeball!"

"You're bantha fodder!" Sebulba hissed.

Sebulba's eyes narrowed when he saw Zelina, and she swallowed. She didn't _think_ Sebulba had seen her steal that part from him, but she could have been wrong.

Sebulba laughed, causing Zelina to shiver a little as he walked away. That couldn't be good…

Qui-Gon came up to them. "Are you all set Ani?"

"Yup!" Anakin said cheerily.

"Alright!" Qui-Gon firmly grasped Anakin, picking him up and putting him in the pod.

"Whoa!" Anakin said, and Zelina giggled at them as Anakin got situated.

"Now remember, concentrate on the moment; feel, don't think. Use your instincts," Qui-Gon counseled him.

"I will," Anakin said with determination.

"May the Force be with you," Qui-Gon said in parting, handing Anakin his helmet. Qui-Gon placed a hand on Zelina's back very gently. "Come along Zelina, the race is about to start…"

"Good luck," she said one last time to Anakin. However, it seemed her friend was already in his zone, focused on the machine he was in.

Qui-Gon and Zelina joined the other's in the lift, and as it raised Zelina couldn't help but frown a little, her gut twisting in knots as she stared down at Anakin's pod.

"What's wrong little one?" Qui-Gon asked her softly, so the other's wouldn't hear.

"I just have a bad feeling, like something's wrong…" she mumbled.

Qui-Gon watched her with weary eyes, but they both turned their attention back to the race as Jabba the Hutt's arrival was announced. It was about to begin.

The sound of the engine's starting rang clear through the stands, at least for Zelina. Anxiously she gripped the edge of the lift, leaning over as she stared anxiously at Anakin's pod.

"Be careful Zelina," the girl told her.

"She's alright Padme," Qui-Gon reassured the girl.

Zelina smiled a little. It was about time she knew the girl's name. She'd been beginning to think she'd never get the girl's name. Padme. She would remember that.

"You Jedi are far too reckless," Padme said as she cast her anxious gaze towards Anakin's pod. "The Queen does not—"

"The Queen trusts my judgment, young handmaiden: you should too," Qui-Gon said smoothly, being sure to look Padme in the eyes.

"You assume too much," Padme grumbled.

Shmi stopped the conversation there when she stood in the middle with the screen they would watch the race on. Zelina glanced at them, choosing to stay where she was until the pods were out of sight. She tensed, clutching the edge as everyone held their breath waiting for the race to begin. Zelina dimly registered the creature she had finally learned was named Jar Jar speaking, but paid him no heed. Her attention stayed trained on the tiny pod below.

The gong went off, the green light lit, and all of the pods took off. Well, almost all of them. Two of them stayed in place, and Zelina's heart stopped when she didn't see Anakin's pod move.

"Oh no," she groaned to herself. She could hear the laughter at him, and wished she could reassure him. However all she could do was watch from her spot above.

After a few moments of being stalled, Anakin's pod roared back to life, and Zelina gave a sigh of relief as he took off down the track. When the pod disappeared from her view, Zelina nudged her way between Qui-Gon and Shmi to see the screen.

"He's so far behind," Zelina said in worry, watching Anakin push his pod to catch up.

Qui-Gon put a hand on Zelina's shoulder. "He'll catch up, don't worry."

Zelina watched anxiously as Anakin weaved around the other racers, gradually gaining ground. Two racers had already dropped out of the race, one of them due to Sebulba's sabotage.

Zelina stiffened a little, clinging onto Qui-Gon when Anakin burst out of the cave followed closely by a fiery inferno as another racer crashed. It didn't help that not moments later there was fire from Tusken Raiders railing down on the racers. One bullet came too close for comfort, causing a few sparks to fly as it hit Anakin's pod right behind his head. It seemed their entire group grimaced at the sight.

The first lap was completed, with Sebulba firmly in the lead. Zelina scowled at the Dug's pod, grumbling under her breath before anxiously looking off in the distance for Anakin's pod, which hadn't been in the group that had just powered by.

Another racer dropped out of the race as a droid caused an engine to explode.

They continued to wait. "Where's Ani?" Zelina finally asked, her anxiety leaking through her voice.

"Look, there he is!" Padme said, and Zelina followed her gaze as Anakin finally appeared, in front of another racer as he sped into the second lap. Zelina gave a sigh of relief that he was alright, but she remained tense. Anakin needed to win this race.

Qui-Gon put his hand on Zelina's shoulder once more, and she couldn't help but relax a little at the feeling of comfort that seemed to seep through her.

Zelina felt giddiness seep through her as she watched Anakin flip over and weave around the other racers, using flashy yet handy moves to advance forward. "Go Ani!" she cried out, her excitement getting the better of her for a moment as he easily passed a group of racers with a few moves that _looked_ easy.

Anakin pulled up, in third place while Sebulba remained in first. Zelina clutched at Qui-Gon once more when the racer behind Sebulba suddenly lost their engines, and Anakin barely avoided the racer. Fear clutched at her as one of the line's broke away from the engine and Anakin's pod started spinning. She felt Qui-Gon's grip tighten just slightly on her shoulder, and knew he was afraid for Anakin as well.

"Skywalker's spinning out of control!" the announcer declared.

Qui-Gon put his other hand on Shmi's shoulder as Shmi looked away from the screen, unable to watch for a few seconds. Zelina, however, couldn't tear her eyes away as she watched Anakin's pod spin, afraid she would see her friend's small form fly out, or watch the pod become a raging inferno.

"Come on Ani!" Zelina groaned, her voice strained.

The pod stopped spinning, and Anakin started trying to reconnect the line. Zelina willed that line to connect, for Anakin to speed back into the race, perfectly unharmed. The racers speeding past him only heightened her anxiety, and she felt sick.

Anakin reconnected the line, and Zelina leaned into Qui-Gon, overcome with relief as she watched her friend punch forward, quickly regaining the ground he'd just lost. Qui-Gon rubbed her arm subconsciously yet reassuringly as he watched Anakin's pod with sharp eyes.

Zelina grimaced as the Raiders took shots at the racers again, and once again a bullet missed Anakin, though this time one of the other racers weren't so lucky, and their pod crashed. She flinched a little, but kept watching. Her stomach clenched as Anakin got closer to the leader, and she stood straight, leaning in towards the screen.

"Sebulba," she said in contempt, worry clouding her features.

Nobody needed her to explain. They all understood the seriousness that single name posed.

Anakin and Sebulba flew by, entering the third lap. Anakin was right behind Sebulba, and Zelina knew if nothing went wrong he could take first place. However, while the crowd cheered, she remained grim. She knew better than to get her hopes up. Zelina and Anakin had both learned the hard way that Sebulba always had some sort of dirty trick up his sleeve. Hopefully this time Anakin would be able to outmaneuver the dug.

Zelina audibly growled as Sebulba forced Anakin's pod onto the service ramp, her nausea returning as she saw Anakin's pod fly high into the air.

She started to chant in her head. _Come on Ani, come on Ani, come on Ani…_.

Instead of panicking, it seemed Anakin was perfectly at ease, and he used the air to suddenly launch forward the same time he was descending, landing right in front of Sebulba.

" _YES!_ " she shouted. The others—except for Qui-Gon—jumped at her outburst, but she didn't care, her eyes were glued to her friend in first place, his freedom within his grasp.

Zelina tensed as Sebulba came close up behind Anakin, and Anakin's tiny pod suddenly was in danger of ending up between Sebulba's engines. Her tiny hand had balled up into a fist in Qui-Gon's clothes, her anxiety returning with an all-time high. Something was wrong, something was terribly, horribly wrong…

One of Anakin's engines suddenly started trailing smoke, and Sebulba retook the lead. Zelina felt sick again, leaning her head into Qui-Gon's side once again as she stared at the screen. Everyone leaned in closer to the device Shmi was holding.

Zelina could see her friend moving quickly as he tried to fix the problem, and she stood tense, praying to anything that could hear her that Anakin would be alright. He had to! He couldn't lose now, not with so much on the line!

After a few painfully long moments that felt like a lifetime, Anakin's engine was working again, and he pushed back towards Sebulba. Zelina didn't let the breath she was holding go though, feeling like she was on a ledge. It was so close, they were so close to the finish line, and Anakin was right behind that devious, deceitful, dangerous Dug.

Qui-Gon's grip tightened on both Zelina and Shmi's shoulders as they all leaned in towards the screen.

"Careful Ani, _careful Ani_!" Jar Jar chanted.

The two racer's pods locked.

"I'm going to be sick," Zelina moaned, almost turning her face away from the screen.

Almost.

Shmi shook her head, and Padme looked faint, but all they could do was watch.

The two racers fought to break apart, pulling each other left and right. Zelina could feel panic start to rise. They were going to crash!

"They're side by side!" Zelina distantly heard the announcer shout in excitement. Zelina felt her stomach churning, Shmi looked away from the screen unable to watch, and Qui-Gon sent a worried, anxious look of his own in the direction they all knew Sebulba and Anakin were at.

Suddenly, so quick Zelina almost didn't have time to register it, the unthinkable happened.

Anakin broke away from Sebulba's pod, pushing forward with a sudden burst of speed.

Sebulba's pod went spiraling, both engine's flying off to crash in different direction as the cockpit skidded across the ground.

Anakin flew with unbelievable speed towards the finish line.

The entire crowed flew to its feet, screaming in excitement.

Zelina was suddenly jumping up and down, screaming at the top of her lungs. " _He did it! He did it! He did it! HE WON!"_

In her excitement as everything came rushing to her, Zelina slammed down on the button that lowered the lift, impatient to get off of the thing. Everyone around her was celebrating as well, and she could see Anakin's arms waving in the air. Elation was thick in the air, and Zelina wasn't focused on anything else. There was only her goal now.

Before the lift even touched the ground Zelina jumped over the edge, sliding with a fluidity over the side as she hit the ground in a dead sprint towards Anakin, grinning ear to ear, her elation making it easy to ignore her injuries. She practically forgot they were even there.

Speeding around the corner, she saw Anakin's pod come to a stop, Anakin standing up in the cockpit.

" _Ani! Ani! Ani! You did it Ani!"_ she found herself shouting the entire way there. As she finally made it to the pod, she scrambled up it, throwing her arms around her friend in a jubilant hug, laughing hysterically. Anakin hugged her back, a grin spreading across his face from ear to ear. She could even see the shock in his eyes that this was actually happening.

Still hugging her friend, she gave him a childish peck on the cheek, not caring about the thick layer of dust that coated his face. " _You did it Anakin!_ "

Qui-Gon came up behind them, lifting the cheering Anakin up into the air and onto his shoulder. Anakin waved his arms in the air, on an all-time high as the crowds roared around him while he grinned down at his friends at a loss for words. Zelina had her own words for the moment though.

 _You're free_.


	5. Freedom

Qui-Gon was off talking to Watto about his deals while Zelina and Anakin put up the pod, chatting excitedly about the race the entire time.

"Did you see when I flipped over that one guy—"

"—and you barely dodged those bullets from the Raiders—"

"—I flew into the air and took first place—"

"—and Sebulba's pod went crashing!" Zelina and Anakin both giggled, holding onto the pod for support.

Slowly, the laughter faded from Zelina's face as she anxiously glanced toward the empty spot Sebulba was supposed to be at. The remains of his pod was stacked there, but Sebulba was missing. The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end and Zelina couldn't help but shiver a little.

Anakin's smile faded a little. "Hey, what's wrong?" He playfully hit her arm. "I just won the race, cheer up."

Zelina shook her head. "I've just got a bad feeling again…"

"I'm sure everything's fine. Now come on, help me with this," Anakin requested, grabbing the line that had come loose during the race. Zelina smiled a little and went to detach the other line, piling it into the cockpit.

They had finally finished when the hairs on the back of Zelina's neck stood once again, and her eyes instinctively scanned the room. The first thing she noticed was Sebulba, finally appearing in one of the doorways with a large smirk on his face that spelled trouble considering everything that had just happened.

"Zee, you alright?" Anakin was asking her, but Zelina wasn't paying attention. Her stomach twisted painfully as he eyes continued to scan the room at a more frenzied pace, remaining perfectly still by the pod, her senses on high alert.

Sebulba walked up to her, shoving her in the chest a little. "Slave scum. You're going to get what's coming to you for what you stole from me," Sebulba snarled at her in Huttanese.

Zelina's face turned red, and she was about to give him a snarky reply when a voice rang out across the room, sending Zelina into a full blown panic.

" _Girl!_ "

Zelina's face paled and she instinctively tried to bolt. Sebulba, however, had other plans. He grabbed her arm and pushed her in the direction of Shal'ma who was storming towards Zelina with a fury in her eyes Zelina had never seen before. She couldn't help trembling as she scrambled back to her feet, having fallen to the ground when Sebulba pushed her. Over her pounding heart she could hear Anakin shouting at Sebulba, having lost his temper, though she didn't hear what. Shal'ma had reached her.

Shalma grabbed her arm, yanking her around. "I thought I told you to stay away from these races! You're a jinx girl! I never win when you're in the arena! All you've ever brought me is bad luck!" Shal'ma spat. "I'm tired of your disobedience, I won't have it anymore! Nor your _thievery!_ I will not be paying for what you stole from Sebulba! You will wish you'd never been born you scum! Worthless slave trash!" Shal'ma yelled at Zelina, smacking her hard across the face before throwing her to the floor. Zelina gasped as her back hit the ground, feeling some of her wounds start to bleed again.

Suddenly Anakin was by her, and Zelina could feel the panic become out of control as her friend put himself in harm's way for her. "Leave her alone!" he recklessly shouted at Shal'ma.

"Anakin!" Zelina hear Qui-Gon's voice echo across the room that had gone deathly silent at the scene playing out.

"Get out of my way!" Shal'ma snarled, flinging Anakin aside into a pod and simultaneously reaching for the whip she kept at her side. Zelina felt the sting of the whip on her cheek and arm, the sound of the whip cracking causing her stomach to lurch.

Anger bubbled in her at Shal'ma's treatment of Anakin, as well as a gripping panic. The whip came down again, slashing her chest, and she yelped, pain added to the mix. She just wanted it to stop, she wanted everything to _stop!_

She closed her eyes and flung her hands out instinctively, all over her emotions packed into the movement. There was a rushing in her ears, and she suddenly felt empowered. Over the rushing, she also heard Shal'ma's cry of surprise, heard a sickening thud and masses of crashing, and then dead silence.

Zelina was afraid to open her eyes. She stayed where she was for a few moments, frozen in place, half expecting the whip to continue its decent. Instead, there was nothing, and she heard hurried footsteps coming her way. Her ears were ringing, her head throbbed, but she still gradually opened her eyes.

Sitting up slowly, Zelina stared at the scene in front of her in utter shock.

Pod pieces had been flung back by some invisible force, and pieces lay everywhere. The largest chunks were stacked against the wall. An overhanging slab of rock from the ceiling was cracked, pieces missing. Shaking, her eyes searched the pile of large pod pieces and rock until they came to rest on the limp arm dangling from under an engine, a whip on the ground under it.

Everything snapped back into focus, and Zelina started scrambling back. Shal'ma was dead, Shal'ma was dead, _she'd killed Shal'ma!_

_I'm dead! They'll kill me! Slaves don't kill their Masters in public and get away with it! I'm going to be sick…_

Hands grabbed her shoulders and she screeched, kicking and thrashing violently as she tried to break away. She couldn't die, not now!

"Zelina, calm down, it's alright, I won't hurt you!"

Zelina paused when she finally realized that it was Qui-Gon who was gripping her. The world tilted and she stumbled into the Jedi, who held onto her firmly and protectively. "I-I-I don't know w-what happened! I didn't mean to! I swear! I-I-I—"

Zelina's voice rose with every sentence until her voice cracked and she broke down sobbing, scared out of her mind.

Qui-Gon rubbed her head reassuringly as Zelina buried her face in his clothes. "It's all right little one, it will be all right."

Anakin's slightly trembling voice broke through Zelina's shocked state. "W-what just happened? What was that?"

Qui-Gon pulled Zelina to his side, turning to Anakin. "I'll explain later Anakin. I want you to take Zelina home with you right now. Do not stop for anyone or anything…I have to go talk to someone now."

His grim voice caused Zelina to tremble a little. She was dead, she was sure of it. She'd be executed for sure.

"What's going to happen to her?" Anakin asked fearfully, eyes locking with his friend.

"Nothing will happen to her Anakin, I will make sure of that," Qui-Gon said firmly. He gently pried Zelina off of him, lightly pushing her towards Anakin. "Now hurry, get out of here, go home and wait for me there."

Anakin nodded, grabbing Zelina's hand. "Come on Zee," he said, forcing cheerfulness into his tone in an attempt to lighten the mood. "Let's get out of here."

Hurriedly, Anakin pulled Zelina out of the room and out into the streets, practically dragging her behind him in his haste to get away.

"I'm going to be sick…" Zelina mumbled, her vision swimming as her stomach churned threateningly.

"Qui-Gon said we can't stop for anything. You can be sick when we get home," Anakin said, his voice strained. Zelina squeezed his hand and let him lead her along, feeling a sense of numbness fall over her as her mind struggled to catch up with everything that had just happened.

* * *

Qui-Gon stared at the result of Zelina's loss of control, worry creasing his features. He was well aware that what Zelina had done would call for the worst possible punishments, but he couldn't bear to let that happen to the girl. He had to do something.

Casting his eyes around the room, he hurried over to one of the staircases that would lead him to the person he needed to talk to. The other beings in the room were hesitantly making their way to the pile of rock and machine, approaching it as if it were a bomb. Qui-Gon ignored them, making his way up the stairs to the box that hopefully still contained Jabba the Hutt. He had no desire to see the gangster, but he knew that Jabba was the best person to go to right now.

Jabba's Twi'lek majordomo stopped Qui-Gon from entering the box. "Jabba must not be disturbed. If he's not expecting you, you need to leave."

Qui-Gon gave a small smile. "I need to see him on a…sudden matter…involving a slave."

The majordomo frowned a little and disappeared into the room. Qui-Gon waited patiently until, finally, he reappeared.

"Jabba will see you; but make it quick!"

Qui-Gon nodded. "Of course."

Qui-Gon cautiously made his way into the room, coming to a stop a few feet away from Jabba's large form. He waited patiently for Jabba to acknowledge him, taking the time to think through what he wanted to say.

"So, you wish to speak to me about a slave?" Jabba drawled.

Qui-Gon nodded. "I've had my eyes on this one slave in particular for a while now, and her owner just met an…untimely demise. I was wondering if I could possibly take possession of the slave," Qui-Gon said smoothly.

"Is there, ah, any payment I could come across for granting you ownership of this _slave_?" Jabba said in an aloof voice.

Qui-Gon glanced at Jabba, thinking for a moment. "The pod that just won the race. It was mine. You can have it if I get the girl; I won't need it where I'm headed."

Jabba laughed. "Ah, a pod like that...deal! I will send one of my men to get the slave scum's transmitter for you. You'll give him the pod, he'll give you the transmitter. Alright?"

Qui-Gon nodded, a feeling of relief seeping through him. "Of course."

"Now get out of here, I have more important things to deal with…"

Qui-Gon slowly started to back up, giving a little bow. "Thank you Jabba, I am most grateful for your assistance."

Before the gangster could respond, Qui-Gon turned and swept out of the room, quick to leave the podracing rink behind.

* * *

Zelina sat on the table, swinging her legs while she waited for Anakin. She kept her eyes on the ground, the numbness from what had just happened starting to wear off. She wished the same could be said about the pain from her collection of injuries. It seemed they burned more now, though the sand swirling outside probably had something to do with it. No doubt the sand had gotten in the wounds.

Anakin reappeared, a damp rag in his hand. "All right, let's see how good at the doctor stuff I am," he said lightly, sitting next to her on the table. He wiped away the blood on her cheek and arm first, talking the entire time. "I'm sure Qui-Gon will handle everything. You're going to be fine, you'll see; it will all work out."

"You sound so sure of yourself," Zelina said with a small smile.

"Well, I _did_ just win the race," Anakin said with a grin.

"You're going to milk that as long as possible, aren't you?"

Anakin laughed. "Yeah, most likely."

When he looked at her back, which had red stains showing up on the shirt once again. Despite Zelina's protests, he peeked down the back of her shirt.

"Zee! When did this happen?" he asked, obviously upset.

"Earlier today. I was late getting to the cantina…I didn't want you worrying over me, you needed to focus on the race," Zelina said defensively.

Anakin shook his head incredulously. "You need this treated. Bad. The sooner you can get fixed the better…" he frowned, and Zelina knew he was trying to think of a place here that she could get the treatment she needed.

"Maybe Qui-Gon has the answer," Zelina joked, though her voice lacked the humor. She still managed to get Anakin to laugh a little.

"Yeah, maybe," he chuckled. Sighing, Anakin glanced around the room. "I wish Mom was here, she'd be so much more of a help than I can be right now."

Zelina smiled at him. "You're doing fine."

They heard the door open and both children's heads shot up, staring intently to see who would appear around the corner. Both Shmi and Qui-Gon appeared around the corner, and to both the children's mild surprise Shmi wasn't surprised to see Zelina's state. She tenderly took the rag from her son and got to work on Zelina while Anakin walked over to Qui-Gon.

"Were you able to do anything for her?" he asked anxiously.

Qui-Gon sighed, getting down on one knee in front of Anakin. Zelina watched Qui-Gon with wide eyes, afraid of what she would hear him say. Qui-Gon put a hand on Anakin's shoulder.

"Zelina is going to be just fine Anakin. I talked to Jabba the Hutt, and he agreed to turn Zelina over to me…though I'm afraid I had to trade your podracer to do so."

Zelina slumped in relief, though Shmi had her sit up straight again as she gently wiped at the cut that went across Zelina's chest.

Anakin shook his head. "No, no it's alright, as long as Zelina's okay…" he trailed off, and a thought seem to come to mind. "Does that mean she's free now?" he asked eagerly, a smile falling across his face.

Zelina perked up almost immediately as the thought dawned over her. She was free? She wasn't a slave anymore? It all seemed so surreal…

Qui-Gon nodded slowly. "Yes Anakin, she is…as are you."

Shmi's hand paused for the slightest moment on Zelina's wound, but other than that Anakin's mother wasn't fazed. Anakin, on the other hand, was obviously shocked, possibly in denial as well as his head swiveled toward Qui-Gon. "What?" he asked, probably making sure he'd heard the Jedi right.

"You're free Anakin. When you won the race you won your freedom too. Watto bet a little too much on Sebulba today."

Anakin stood there in shock for a moment, processing his words. "I'm free?" he turned to his mother. "Did you hear that?"

Shmi put the rag down and turned to smile at her son. "Now you can make your dreams come true Ani…you're free." She looked over at Qui-Gon. "Will you take him with you? Is he to become a Jedi?"

"Yes…they both will," Qui-Gon said, smiling a little at Zelina. The two friends looked at each other in a mixture of shock and excitement. "Our meeting was not a coincidence: nothing happens by accident."

Anakin was the first one to react. "You mean _we_ get to come with _you_ in your _starship_?"

Zelina giggled a little at Anakin's point of view, and Qui-Gon got down on one knee in front of him to stress what he was going to say next. "Anakin…training to become a Jedi is not an easy challenge. And even if you succeed, it's a hard life."

"But I want to go! It's what I've always _dreamed_ of doing!" Anakin said.

"I want to go too," Zelina said firmly as Anakin turned around to his mother.

"Can I go Mom?" Anakin plead with Shmi.

"Anakin…" she said softly, taking her son's hand. "This path has been placed before you. The choice is yours alone."

There was a few beats of silence before Anakin spoke again. "I want to do it."

Shmi nodded, and Qui-Gon spoke up. "Then pack your things," he said softly before he looked up at Zelina. "You too. I'm sure you have someone you need to say goodbye to before you leave young one."

Zelina glanced down, thinking of her father she would be leaving behind. Anakin paused in his bedroom doorway at Qui-Gon's words, seeming to just now realize something.

"What about mom? Is she free too?" he asked hesitantly.

Zelina looked up at Qui-Gon, who had a small frown on his face. "I tried to free your mother Ani, but Watto wouldn't have it."

"You're coming with us, aren't you mom?" Anakin asked Shmi quietly. At the sad look on Qui-Gon's face, Anakin looked down, realizing that he would be leaving his mother behind if he left with Qui-Gon.

Shmi sighed. "Son, my place is here, my _future_ is here. It is time for you to let _go_."

"I don't want things to change…" Anakin said softly.

"But you can't stop the change. Any more than you can stop the suns from setting. Oh…I love you…" Shmi said softly, giving Anakin a hug. "Now…hurry."

Anakin ran off to his room, and Zelina slowly slipped off the table as Shmi stood beside Qui-Gon.

"Thank you…" Shmi said softly.

"I'll watch out for him. Both of them," he said with a small smile, looking back at Zelina. She shyly returned the smile. "You have my word."

Qui-Gon put a hand on Shmi's shoulder. "Will _you_ be alright?"

"Yes…" she said, almost too softly for Zelina to hear.

Qui-Gon turned to Zelina. "I'd go get your things as well little one. Say goodbye to your father…When we get to the ship I'll make sure your wounds are better taken care of."

Zelina nodded exuberantly. "Thank you Qui-Gon. Not just for me, but for what you did for Ani as well. I'm glad to see my friend finally free."

Qui-Gon smiled at Zelina. "It was the least I could do young one. Now hurry alone."

Zelina smiled and slowly made her way out the door, a spring in her step. She felt so light, so happy, so full of hope…

So free.


	6. Grim Goodbyes and a Surprising Hello

"Daddy? Daddy, are you home?"

Zelina cautiously made her way into the house, not wanting to stumble across one of her father's drinking sprees again. However, she found him in the kitchen, making what looked like lunch for the two of them. A pang went through her. Was she really going to do this? How could she possibly leave her father? She was all he had left.

Zelina squared her shoulders. No…no she knew that leaving was what she needed to do. She was meant to be a Jedi, and to be a Jedi she would have to leave.

With a small sigh she walked into the tiny kitchen. Her father looked up at her and smiled. "Good sweetheart, your home."

The smile slipped off his face when he took in his daughter's beat up form and grim expression. Immediately he put down what he was doing, getting down on one knee in front of her as he inspected her with gentle hands. "Zelina, what happened?" he asked gravely, fingers brushing the bruise on her face.

Zelina looked him in the eyes. "Shal'ma," she said simply.

Her father never remembered what he did when he was drunk. She'd learned that after the first time he'd laid a hand on her. She could never bear to tell her father that he was the reason for some of her injuries, and had continuously blamed all of the marks on herself from her father on Shal'ma. He was completely oblivious to the abuse that he occasionally brought down on his daughter.

Her father's face darkened and he gave Zelina a tight hug. She grit her teeth at the pain it caused her back but didn't protest since he wasn't aware of the whipping cuts. "One of these days Zelina, I promise, we're going to be free, and you'll never have to worry about any of this ever again."

"Daddy I need to talk to you," Zelina said quietly.

Her father pulled away. "What about sweetheart?"

Zelina looked away. "I…I disobeyed you. I used those powers you told me never to use today."

His face darkened and he stood up. "Zelina, what did I tell you about that? There's dangerous people out there, and if they find out that you have access to these powers they'll take you away from me. You know better."

Zelina nodded. "I know Daddy, and I'm sorry, but…she hurt Ani, and she was hurting me, and I just…I just wanted her to stop."

Her father froze. "What did you do Zelina?" When she didn't respond he slammed his hand down on the table and she flinched despite herself. " _What did you do Zelina?_ "

 _He's never hurt me when he wasn't drunk: he won't hurt me if he's not drunk_ , Zelina reassured herself in her head. "Daddy, Shal'ma's dead." There was a few moments of silence and Zelina's fears rushed back to her despite herself. "I-I didn't mean to do it! I don't even know how I did it! I didn't mean to Daddy, I'm sorry," Zelina sobbed.

For a few moments, her father didn't say anything, didn't do anything. Then, very slowly, he got down on his knee again. "I…I'm sure…everything will be fine Zelina. Perhaps…perhaps they won't think you could have done it. Perhaps…everything…"

His voice trailed off and Zelina could see he was about to go into a full blown panic.

"Daddy…someone bought me. After Shal'ma died, they bought me."

Her father's eyes snapped back into focus and he stared her down. "Who bought you?"

She could hear the dread in his voice, but she pushed on with her news anyway. "An outlander. He's going to take me and Ani far away from here Daddy."

"He bought Anakin Skywalker too? How did this man manage to get Anakin away from Watto?" he asked in surprise.

"Watto and Qui-Gon made a bet, and Qui-Gon won…Daddy…Qui-Gon's a Jedi."

Shock registered in her father's features before he gripped Zelina's arms. "He's not taking you anywhere," her father said harshly. "He can't have you, he can't bring you with him. I won't let him take you, I won't!"

"Daddy, I want to go."

Her father froze. "What did you say?"

"Daddy, I _want_ to go," Zelina said again. "He saved my life and set me free Daddy. And I feel like I was meant to be a Jedi."

Her father shook his head. "No Zelina, I won't let you go."

"Daddy, I already told him I was coming. I only came to get my stuff and say goodbye."

The hurt on her father's face was evident, and she shrunk away a little. "Why would you want to go? Zelina, you know…you're all I have left…I can't lose you too…"

Zelina took in a sharp breath, tears stinging her eyes as she averted her eyes. "Daddy, I'm leaving. I'm going to be a Jedi; I'm going to help people, I'm going to keep people safe."

"Did I do something wrong? Sweetheart, you know I'm trying, you know I wish I could give you better, that doesn't mean you have to leave. If he set you free then you don't have to go!"

"But I _want_ to go Daddy. And I'm not going to change my mind," she said softly as she slipped off to her room to start packing. He followed after her, and his pleading tone changed to an angry tone.

"Zelina Du'ahn, I forbid you to leave this house! You might be free from being a slave, but I am still your father!" he said angrily.

Zelina grabbed the tiny bag that she had, stuffing what little clothes she had in there as well, including her mother's necklace. She didn't open the box that it was in to reassure herself it was there like she did every other time she held the box, but simply added it to the bag.

Her father grabbed the sack out of her hands, holding it away from her. "Zelina, you're not going."

"Yes, I am Daddy," she said firmly.

He shook his head, grabbing her arm. "If you try to disobey what I tell you one more time Zelina, so help me…"

"You'll what Daddy? You'll hit me again?" Zelina shot out before she could stop herself. Her father dropped her arm and stepped back in shock, the hurt slowly starting to settle over his face. She wished she could take it back now, but it was too late, and she knew it was going to be the only way she got through to him.

"Zelina, I've never hurt you once, I would never—"

"You have Daddy. More than once. You do every time you get upset about Mommy and drink, but you don't remember it afterwards. This bruise? It was you, last night. The cut on my cheek three weeks ago was your broken cup when you threw it at me. The bruises down my back a few months ago was when you went into a rage because I spilled something." Zelina stopped, deciding she'd said enough. She didn't want to see her father hurting, so she didn't look at him as she took her bag back from the hand that had gone slack. She pushed past him. She had to leave now or she wouldn't find it in her to follow through. She stopped by the door, hearing her father slowly come to stand in the doorway behind her. "I love you Daddy…" she said quietly.

"Sweetheart…please don't go…"

Zelina stood there for a few moments, the tears falling down her face at his pleading tone. Somehow she still got her little hand to hit the button that opened the door. "I'm going to be a great Jedi Daddy. I'll help a lot of people and make you proud, I promise…"

Before anything else could stop her, Zelina left the tiny dwelling behind her.

Qui-Gon stood outside of Anakin's house with a man in a long cloak. As Zelina approached, the man handed Qui-Gon what looked like a transmitter, which Qui-Gon promptly destroyed. The man in the cloak gave a shake of his head, and quickly took off, Anakin's pod in tow. Zelina wiped her eyes as quickly as she could before Qui-Gon could notice and went to stand with him by the door to Anakin's place.

"What did your father say?" Qui-Gon asked her.

"I'm coming," Zelina said evasively, shifting the bag on her shoulder. Qui-Gon studied her closely, and Zelina tried not to move uncomfortably under his gaze.

"Zelina, you do not have to come if you don't want to…" Qui-Gon told her softly.

Zelina's thoughts immediately went to her father, but she pushed them away. She was confident that she was making the right choice. She _knew_ that she was…even if it hurt. "I want to be a Jedi. I know I'm supposed to be one. I had a dream about it you know," she told Qui-Gon, trying to make her voice sound light and cheery.

Qui-Gon got down to Zelina's level. "Do you want to tell me about it?" he asked her curiously.

She nodded. "It was last night. You were there, and there was this red man with a red laser sword, and there was this other boy, he had reddish hair in a braid and grayish blue eyes and had a blue laser sword. And I was curious about the other boy cause he seemed important, but when I went up to him everything changed. I was talking to him at first, then he was older and I was talking to him again, but I was older too, and I think Anakin was with us too. And then he was even _older_ and we were protecting this blonde woman from something…" she trailed off, frowning for a moment. "Then…I was back where I started, and something happened that made the boy really, really sad…but I didn't see what…"

Qui-Gon frowned, nodding slowly as he processed what she told him. "Is that all that you saw?"

Zelina nodded. "That was when I woke up. I wish I could meet the boy, I could tell he was really important."

Qui-Gon smiled, his eyes twinkling a little. "I think you'll meet him a lot sooner than you think."

"Do you know who he is?" she asked excitedly.

Qui-Gon nodded. "Why, yes, I believe I do. Though, we'll talk later. Right now, we have to hurry to my ship so we can get ready to go. I already sent the parts ahead with the others so that the ship would be ready when we get there. We need to leave as soon as possible."

Zelina nodded. "Alright."

Anakin appeared in the doorway, seemingly startled by finding both of them right there.

"Are you ready to go?" Qui-Gon asked him.

Anakin nodded. "Yes…" he said very quietly.

Qui-Gon nodded. "Then we'll leave now. Come on Anakin, Zelina."

The two nodded, and the little party started to take their leave. However, Anakin's sure steps faultered, and he looked behind him. Zelina paused as well, following Anakin's gaze. Shmi stood not too far from the doorway, watching them leave. Just beyond her Zelina could see her father standing in the doorway of their home, but she did her best to ignore the sight.

Anakin suddenly turned and ran back to his mother, giving her a tight hug, and Zelina was close enough she could hear what they said.

"I can't do it mom, I just can't do it…" Anakin said, his voice trembling.

"Ani…" Shmi said gently.

"Will I ever see you again?" Anakin asked, and Zelina stared at her feet when she realized that her friend was holding back tears. She could hear it in his voice.

"What does your heart tell you?" Shmi asked him.

"I hope so…yes…I guess."

Zelina looked past the two, over towards her own father. _Her_ feelings on this parting were rather final. She felt like she wouldn't see her father again for some reason, and the thought made her uneasy.

"Then we will see each other again," Shmi reassured him.

"I _will_ come back for you Mom. I promise," Anakin said softly.

Shmi smiled at him, softly stroking her son's cheek for a moment. "Now…be brave…and don't look back…don't look back."

Zelina felt her own tears coming, but squared her own shoulders and turned away from the place she had called home.

Even as Anakin joined them and they went around the corner she didn't look back. Not once.

* * *

After a while, the two children were running behind Qui-Gon along the sand dunes, exhausted. Zelina felt especially tired, with her injuries slowing her down, but she could sense an urgency in the air, a danger, and she knew that they were running for a reason.

The ship was very close when Zelina could feel the danger in the air increase.

"Qui-Gon sir, wait, I'm tired!" Anakin called out. Zelina was somehow ahead of him and turned to look back at him. She saw a figure speeding up behind him and opened her mouth to give a warning, but Qui-Gon beat her to it.

"Anakin, drop!" he shouted with a sense of urgency Zelina had never heard from him. Anakin obeyed without question, and his prompt reaction probably saved his life as a speeder rushed right where his head had been a few moments prior. Zelina had been lucky enough to be standing off to the side and didn't need to duck.

The figure on the bike jumped, engaging Qui-Gon in a fight with his red laser sword. Zelina peered curiously under the hood of the figure as Anakin ran to her side, and she felt her blood run cold. That was the red man from her dream. She recognized his face.

"Go! Tell them to take off!" Qui-Gon ordered them as he fought with the red man.

Anakin grabbed Zelina's hand, and she snapped out of her thoughts, immediately running with him towards the ship. They scrambled up the ramp, Anakin in the lead. Zelina saw Padme first with a tall dark skinned man.

"Qui-Gon…fight…said to take off," Zelina panted out. Anakin nodded beside her, catching his own breath.

Padme and the man looked at each other in shock, though Padme recovered the fastest. "Come on, you heard them!" she said firmly.

The children followed the duo to the cockpit. "Qui-Gon's in trouble!" the man rumbled.

"Take off," Zelina heard someone say. She tried to move to see what was going on, but her view was blocked by Padme and the tall man. Anakin had gotten lucky and ended up _in front_ of the two. Zelina was somehow stuck _behind_ the two. "Over there, fly low," she heard the same male voice order.

The ship rose, and Zelina instinctively put her hands out to steady herself as she tried to get used to the feel of being in a spaceship. They slowed down, getting lower, when suddenly the ship rose up, shooting off.

 _We must have Qui-Gon on board now_ , she realized. Now grateful she was in the back, Zelina scurried out of the cockpit and back to the ramp, which she saw was just starting to close. She hurried over to Qui-Gon as the ramp closed, hearing footsteps behind her. Qui-Gon sat on the floor, panting.

"Qui-Gon, are you alright!" Zelina asked him, worry dripping in her voice.

"I think so…" Qui-Gon said.

Anakin appeared beside Zelina, and she gave him a small smile.

"What was it?" she heard the male voice from the cockpit beside her and jumped a little. Turning to finally see its owner, she froze.

Reddish hair…grayish blue eyes…a braid…he was even wearing the exact same clothes as in her dream. She stared openly at the boy, almost forgetting everyone else around her in her surprise.

If the boy knew she was staring, he didn't say anything about it.

"I'm not sure…but it was well trained in the Jedi arts. My guess is it was after the Queen," Qui-Gon said. Zelina was listening to him, but she kept studying the boy beside her.

"What are we going to do about it?" Anakin asked Qui-Gon.

Qui-Gon sighed. "We should be patient." He gestured to Anakin and then the boy. "Anakin Skywalker, meet Obi-Wan Kenobi."

Anakin reached around Zelina to shake the boy—Obi-Wan's—hand. "Hi! You're a Jedi too? Pleased to meet you!"

Obi-Wan smiled at Anakin's eagerness and Qui-Gon chuckled a little before his gaze fell on Zelina. He put a hand on her shoulder. "And this…is Zelina Du'ahn."

Zelina shyly put out her own hand, letting Obi-Wan shake it. She tried to ignore the fact that his eyes took in every injury and the spots that she was favoring. "It's nice to meet you," she said quietly.

Qui-Gon took in her quiet attitude. "Zelina…is Obi-Wan the same person you saw in your dream?"

Zelina blushed furiously as Obi-Wan's head whipped around to stare at Qui-Gon, confused looks falling across both Obi-Wan and Anakin's faces. Still, she managed a nod. "Yes, he is."

Qui-Gon gave her a warm, reassuring smile. "I thought so. Obi-Wan, if you wouldn't mind, Zelina has a few injuries she needs tended to. I'm sure she can show you where they are."

Obi-Wan nodded slowly, studying Zelina for a moment. "All right Master…" He stood up, helping Zelina to her feet. "Come along young one, we'll go into the room just down there," he told her gently.

Zelina turned around and gave a small, half smile to Anakin before following Obi-Wan into the room he'd indicated.


	7. Obi-Wan Kenobi

"Come on, up you go…"

Obi-Wan grasped Zelina under the arms, carefully lifting her up onto the bed. She didn't weigh much, and Obi-Wan couldn't help but worry that perhaps she was a little underweight, most likely malnourished as well. He gave the child a small smile as he brushed some of the hair away from her face, doing his best to be reassuring.

"Do you want to show me where you're hurt?" Obi-Wan asked Zelina gently.

The girl sighed before she answered. "Here, obviously," she said with a gesture to her face, a small smile flashing across her features for a moment. "Then there's my arm, my chest, and my…back."

She said the last part slowly, hesitantly, as if she almost didn't want to admit the last injury. Obi-Wan couldn't help but frown a little as he retrieved some bacta from the cabinet on his left. "Why don't you lay down and I'll take a look," Obi-Wan told her gently. The girl obeyed, resting her head in her arms as she stretched out on her stomach. Obi-Wan carefully started to peel the back of her shirt up, a bad feeling settling in him.

He had to stifle the gasp that threatened to burst out of him. Long, deep, fresh gashes from what he guessed was a whip filled his vision. He brushed a finger across her back as gently as he could, grimacing when he accidentally caused a few gashes to start bleeding again, despite his caution. He glanced at the bacta he'd grabbed, suddenly very aware that it wouldn't be enough. He was going to need more than that.

"Just try to relax," he told her, putting a hand on her shoulder in a reassuring way. The girl nodded, still refraining from speaking for some reason. Obi-Wan shook his head a little, doing his best to push away his discomfort at her injuries as he cleaned her up as gently as he could.

When he'd treated the last whip lash he tugged her shirt down, helping her sit up and rolling up her sleeve. He decided to try and get her talking again.

"So, you're coming with us to Coruscant?" Obi-Wan asked lightly.

Zelina nodded as he cleaned up the lash on her arm. "I'm going to be a Jedi with Ani," she said confidently.

Obi-Wan cocked an eyebrow. "You sound pretty sure about that."

Zelina smiled up at him, and Obi-Wan couldn't help but smile back at her. "Of course. I wanna help people, I wanna protect people!" she said adamantly.

"It's hard work…and even though we're taking you to the Council it doesn't mean that you're going to be a Jedi," Obi-Wan told her carefully.

Zelina simply continued to smile at him, her eyes sparkling. "I know I am. I had a dream about it you know!" she said in a peppy voice.

Obi-Wan watched her curiously. "Is that by any chance the same dream Qui-Gon mentioned?"

Zelina nodded. "Uh-huh. There was you, and the red man from earlier, and Qui-Gon at first. And then there was you and me talking about something, and then we were all older, and Ani was there too, and he had a braid like you do…" she paused, thinking. "Actually, I think I had a braid too now that I think about it. And you had long hair too; you didn't have a braid anymore. And then we were even older, and I didn't have a braid anymore, and your hair was shorter, and we were protecting a blonde lady…there was a lot of stuff," she finished with a small giggle.

Obi-Wan found his eyebrows rising yet again as he wrapped up her arm, having put the bacta on while Zelina was talking. "I see…so you're sure that it's what you want to do?"

"I _know_ it's what I'm _supposed_ to do," Zelina said confidently.

Obi-Wan smiled down at this battered, cut up girl, who somehow managed to still be confident, determined, and happy. "Alright, I believe you," Obi-Wan said with a small chuckle, wiping gently at the cut on her cheek.

"Why do you have a braid?" Zelina asked him curiously.

Obi-Wan smiled a little, glad that she was finally opening up and talking without him coaxing her into it. "It means I'm a Padawan: a Jedi in training. Qui-Gon is my Master, my mentor. Once I pass the Trials, I won't be a Padawan anymore, I'll be a Jedi Knight. I won't have a Master then."

"So that means that in my dreams you were a Jedi Knight and Ani and I were Padawans. Do you think we were _your_ Padawans?" she asked in excitement.

Obi-Wan chuckled. "Perhaps _one_ of you were. A Jedi can only have one Padawan at a time."

"Oh, I see," Zelina said with a nod, then she giggled. "I think it'll be funny to see Ani with a braid."

Obi-Wan snickered, shaking his head a little. "Well, don't tease him or anything if you two _do_ become Padawans."

Zelina made a face, and Obi-Wan could sense ripples of annoyance from her. Apparently she didn't like that he didn't have the same surety in her dreams as she did. "Your laser sword: it's blue, right?"

Obi-Wan was startled, but kept his surprise hidden the best he could. She must have seen it in her dream. "Yes, it is. And it's called a lightsaber," he informed her gently.

Zelina nodded. "I like blue. I think it's a nice color," she said with a note of fondness in her voice.

Obi-Wan chuckled. "That it is."

The two lapsed into a comfortable silence as Obi-Wan tended to her last wound, the whip lash across her chest. He couldn't help but like this child. She could definitely grow on a person, that was for sure.

"There, all done," he said with a small smile as he shifted the dirty shirt back into place.

"Thank you Obi-Wan," she said, some shyness creeping into her voice once more. Obi-Wan gave her another smile, helping her down from the bed. "Why don't we see if we can find something a little cleaner for you to wear? Did you bring any clothes with you?"

Zelina nodded. "Yes, of course, though they're not the cleanest either…and they're really torn up too…"

Obi-Wan nodded, feeling a somber mood starting to settle over him as he thought of how this probably wasn't the first—or, Force forbid, the _worst_ —punishment that this little girl had endured. He gently led her along the halls of the ship, a careful hand on her back. "Come on; let's see if we can find something better for you to wear…"

* * *

Zelina tugged a little the Jedi tunic that Obi-Wan had given her, feeling very small. It was huge on her, but very soft and very warm. She'd simply gotten the best pair of pants she'd had in her sack since they both had agreed they wouldn't find any pants that could possibly fit her on the ship.

She pulled the tunic a little tighter around herself, smiling. She liked Obi-Wan; he was really nice and seemed like a good listener.

Of course Obi-Wan had left her alone to change, saying something about going to see what Qui-Gon was doing. Now that she was done, she had nothing to do. Though surely there was _something_ to do on a ship this big. And if she couldn't find something to do then perhaps she could at least find someone to talk to. Maybe she'd be able to figure out where Ani had disappeared to.

Timidly, she slipped into the hall, glancing around. There was no one there. Taking a right, she wandered around the ship, finding herself gravitating towards the center of the ship. She didn't know why she was headed there; she just knew she was following where her gut was telling her to go.

She heard voices wafting from one of the rooms ahead of her and slowly crept closer, curiosity getting the best of her. They were talking very softly, and when she was close enough she was able to distinguish the two as Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon. She smiled a little, crouching down by the door to listen to what they were saying.

"…is a very sweet child I've noticed. And she's the one with the midi-chlorian count of about nineteen thousand?" came Obi-Wan's voice.

"She's also very mischievous I've noticed, and prone to trouble. You'll see in time, I'm sure. But yes, she's the one," Qui-Gon said.

Zelina couldn't help but feel a little confused. She knew they were talking about her, but what _exactly_ they were talking about she couldn't tell. Midi-chlorians? What were those? The other things she didn't really care for. She knew she tended to get into trouble, and she was a little flattered that Obi-Wan thought her sweet, but her confusion from the midi-chlorian statement outweighed the rest.

"Did you get a sample from the boy so we could test his count?" Obi-Wan asked.

"I was wondering when you would remember. I have it right here. Anakin got a cut on his head with the…altercation that happened back on Tatooine. I cleaned it up before we left and I still have the sample."

Zelina frowned. Now they were talking about Anakin…she had the feeling she'd stumbled across a very interesting conversation.

"If I may ask Master, what exactly happened?"

Qui-Gon sighed. "She had a very cruel Master, and she was abused at home as well. Though the latter only happened when her father was drunk. Her mother wasn't in the picture. Apparently she died when Zelina was very young, though she witnessed the whole thing."

Obi-Wan was silent for a few moments. "I'm guessing the whip lashes were from her Master?"

"Yes. I didn't see exactly what happened, I just came in time to see Anakin try and interfere to help Zelina, but the woman simply tossed him aside and continued her assault on Zelina…though, that was when Zelina ended up accidentally proving her potential."

"She used the Force?" Obi-Wan asked, apparently surprised.

"Yes…it was purely instinctive, and she didn't know what she was doing. She had no control, though that's to be expected with no training. She tossed her Master and half of what was in the room with her into the wall, essentially killing the woman," Qui-Gon said grimly.

She heard Obi-Wan sigh. "A horrible way to end up free, if you ask me…"

"Well, let's not talk about it. It's in the past, and I don't think that the girl needs to relive the experience. We don't need to be bringing it up. Now, let's see what Anakin's midi-chlorian count is. We know it's going to be even more than Zelina's, though I would like to know just how _much_ more."

There was some rustling, and Zelina knew Obi-Wan had just taken a seat. There was some beeping and whirling and she held her breath as she waited to hear whatever it was that they were trying to figure out.

"The readings are off the charts," Obi-Wan said breathlessly, seeming to be in a state of awe. "Over twenty thousand…even Master Yoda doesn't have a midi-chlorian count that high…"

"No Jedi has…" Qui-Gon murmured.

"What does that mean?" Obi-Wan asked.

_I'd like to know what all of this means, because apparently it's important for some reason_ , Zelina couldn't help but think in frustration.

"I have a feeling…but I'm not quite for sure…I think I'll need to think about it for a while before I try to answer that…"

Unable to stand it any longer, Zelina peeked her head around the corner, taking in the two Jedi staring intently at the screen in front of them. She came completely out of her hiding space, taking a stand in the doorway.

When she cleared her throat, the two Jedi actually jumped, having been so engrossed in the screen that they hadn't noticed her. "What are midi-chlorians?" she asked curiously.

Obi-Wan seemed baffled for a few moments, though Qui-Gon gave a small, disapproving shake of his head. "Zelina, how long have you been standing there?"

Zelina looked shyly down at her feet, shuffling from foot to foot for a moment. "A while…I heard you say I had nineteen thousand of them…and Ani has over twenty thousand…"

"So you heard pretty much our entire conversation." Qui-Gon shook his head but got down on one knee. "Well, if you must know, midi-chlorian's are microscopic life forms that resides within all living cells, including me, and Obi-Wan, and you. We are sembiance with them; life forms living together for mutual advantage. Without the midi-clorians, life could not exist, and we would have no knowledge of the Force. They continually speak to us, telling us the will of the Force. When you start along your path as a Jedi, in time, you will learn to quiet your mind to hear them speaking to you."

Zelina nodded slowly. "I _think_ I understand…"

Qui-Gon smiled. "In time it will make more sense, don't worry young one."

"So…Ani and I have a lot of them…is that a good thing?" Zelina asked curiously.

Qui-Gon nodded. "It means that you are both very strong in the Force, and have the potential to become very great Jedi."

Zelina smiled. "Well then I'll be sure to work extra hard. I want to be a great Jedi!"

This time both Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan chuckled at her enthusiasm, and Qui-Gon stood up. "I'm sure you will be. Though for now, I think you need to get your rest. It'll be a while before we get to Coruscant. Until then, I suggest you go to the central chamber and get some sleep. Anakin's in there as well, so you won't be alone."

Zelina nodded sheepishly. "All right Qui-Gon, I'll go…"

"I'll make sure she finds her way," Obi-Wan piped up, standing from his seat to place a gentle hand on Zelina's shoulder.

Qui-Gon nodded. "Go on. I'll contact the Council to tell them that we are on our way."

"Yes Master," Obi-Wan said before he lead Zelina out of the room.

"That was rather sneaky of you," Obi-Wan commented as he navigated her through the halls of the ship.

Zelina blushed and tried to shrug nonchalantly. "Not really. I've had to do much sneakier things back on Tatooine simply day to day. And besides, I wasn't meaning to be sneaky, honestly. I was just looking for something to do and found myself outside the door; I listened because it sounded interesting and important."

Obi-Wan studied her for a moment, but nodded, a small smile slipping across his face. "Yes, well, next time try not to linger in doorways without anyone knowing your there. Someone might think your spying."

Zelina giggled. "Me? A spy?" she laughed at the crazy thought.

Obi-Wan laughed a little too before he changed the subject. "Does the tunic fit you alright?"

Zelina nodded, pulling the tunic a little tighter to herself. "Yes…it's really warm too," she said with a blush. "It's cold on this ship."

Obi-Wan nodded. "You're used to the climate on Tatooine, and space is rather cold. Don't worry, eventually you'll get used to it."

"I hope so: I don't like being cold," Zelina muttered.

Obi-Wan laughed a little. "I'm sure there's a blanket somewhere for you if you think you'll need it."

"I'd like that very much Obi-Wan," she said with a small giggle.

The two finally reached the central chamber, the door sliding open with a very quiet hiss. Zelina's eyes scanned the room, and she noticed Anakin curled up in a seat in a corner of the room. Jar Jar was passed out in a chair across from him, though Anakin was still awake.

Obi-Wan gave her a gentle nudge in Anakin's direction, crossing the room to grab a blanket from an overhead shelf. Zelina scooted into the seat with Anakin.

"You're cold too?" she asked him.

Anakin nodded, looking her up and down for a moment. "Are you alright now? I haven't seen you since we got on the ship."

Zelina nodded. "Obi-Wan took care of me. I'm all better now Ani, don't worry about me. I'll be fine!" she said with a smile.

Anakin returned the smile, and Zelina scooted closer, leaning her head on his shoulder as Obi-Wan came over with the blanket.

"Here you go: this should keep you warm for tonight," he told the two of them with a small smile. He tucked the blanket around the two of them, and they huddled together even more for extra warmth. Obi-Wan gave a soft laugh, shaking his head a little.

"Like I said: you'll get used to it eventually…good night you too. You have a long day ahead of you tomorrow."

Both of them nodded. "Good night Obi-Wan," Zelina said softly.

Obi-Wan smiled a little once again before he left the room. Anakin's eyes remained on the door as Zelina let her own eyes droop shut, suppressing a sudden yawn.

"He seems like a great guy," Anakin said to no one in particular. Zelina answered anyway.

"He is," she mumbled. "Good night Ani," she said through a yawn.

"Night Zee," he said quietly, and Zelina promptly fell asleep on her best friend.


	8. Dreamworld

" _The Force is strong with him."_

" _He is to be trained then?"_

" _He will not be trained."_

" _No?"_

" _Clouded this boy's future is…"_

" _I will train him then. I take Anakin as my Padawan learner."_

" _Young Skywalker's fate will be decided later."_

" _Zelina, Anakin, stay there, all right?"_

" _Ani! What are you doing? Qui-Gon said to stay here! ANI!"_

" _NOOO!"_

" _It's…it's…too late…."_

" _No!"_

" _Obi-Wan…Promise me you will train the boy…and watch out for the girl…"_

" _Yes Master!"_

" _He is the Chosen One. He_ will _bring balance…train him…"_

_Sobbing…that's all Zelina heard now, was broken sobbing…_

* * *

"Zee…Zee, wake up, we're almost there."

Zelina cracked her eyes open groggily, blinking rapidly as she slowly came to consciousness.

"We're almost in the atmosphere!" Anakin's voice told her cheerfully. "Obi-Wan told me how the whole planet's one big city!"

She rubbed her eyes sleepily before she answered her friend. "Already? I've been asleep that long?"

"You needed it," interjected another voice she recognized as Obi-Wan. She smiled sheepishly at him when her eyes found him standing beside Anakin, looking at her with a small smile.

"I guess so," she said lightly, untangling herself from the blanket. How had Anakin managed to wiggle away without waking her up?

"I was just taking Anakin to the cockpit so that he could get a good first view of Coruscant. You're welcome to join us," Obi-Wan said, putting a hand on Anakin's shoulder. Anakin nodded enthusiastically.

"Come on sleepyhead, hurry up!" he joked.

Zelina grinned and stood up, running a hand through her hair a few times and stumbling over to them sleepily. "Alright, Alright, I'm coming..." she mumbled out.

Obi-Wan chuckled and put his free hand on her shoulder, leading her along. "Come on little one."

Zelina leaned into Obi-Wan as they walked along, Anakin somehow wide awake as he strolled along beside them. "How are you so awake?" she mumbled to him.

"I slept well last night," Anakin said cheerily.

"Lucky for you…" Zelina muttered.

"Did you not sleep well?" Obi-Wan asked curiously.

Zelina shook her head. "I had a nightmare last night," she said tiredly.

"That's why you were moving so much in your sleep," Anakin mused.

"What was it about?" Obi-Wan asked.

Zelina shrugged. "Stuff…" she said quietly. "I don't remember it all really…just bits and pieces…"

Apparently Obi-Wan caught onto the fact that Zelina didn't want to talk about her dream right now, because he didn't press her for details, he simply shook his head. "Maybe you can tell me later…if you remember anything, that is."

Zelina nodded. "All right."

They stopped in front of the door to the cockpit, and Anakin hurried inside as soon as the doors were open. Zelina chuckled a little as Anakin took up a spot next to the pilot and she followed him in, standing beside him.

The pilot glanced at Anakin and chuckled a little. "What do you think? It's a beautiful sight, isn't it," he said, nodding towards the planet they were steadily approaching.

Anakin grinned. "It is!"

Zelina looked at him. "You seem in a cheery mood Ani."

He nodded. "I talked to Padme last night. I got to give her the necklace I've been making for her."

Zelina frowned a little. "That japor snippet you've been carving?"

Anakin nodded. "I gave it to her so she could have good luck."

Once more, Zelina felt a pang of jealousy, but she shoved the feeling away and nodded, keeping her smile. "That's good. She'll need it."

The pilot tapped on Anakin's shoulder to get his attention. "You can see the city now."

The two children returned their attention to looking out the window, and both of them stifled gasps. Zelina could hear Obi-Wan snickering at their reaction behind her, but her eyes remained glued to the sight before her.

There was so much! So many large, tall buildings, so many different vehicles zooming in so many different directions, so many people teeming below them, so much of everything! She gapped out the window, looking at Anakin for a moment. He had a similar look of awe on his face as well.

"Wow…" the two breathed.

"There's Chancellor Valorum's shuttle. And look over there: Senator Palpatine is waiting for us," the pilot continued, nodding towards the landing platform that he was about to land the spaceship.

Zelina suddenly felt giddy, and it took all of her control not to jump up and down in place at the feeling. Though at the same time, she felt chills going down her spine, and she didn't know why. Maybe her dream last night had something to do with it? All she knew that she suddenly felt cold for some reason.

Obi-Wan put a hand on her shoulder, somehow seeming to know that she was feeling discomfort and such. "Are you alright?" he asked softly.

Zelina nodded slowly. "Yes…I just feel…cold. And there's another feeling that I don't understand…"

Obi-Wan's frown seemed to deepen and concern started to fall over his features as well. "Like a pit in your stomach? A chill down your back?"

She nodded. "Yeah, that's what it's like…"

For a moment, Zelina thought Obi-Wan looked grim and surprised, but it was only fleeting before his expression became unreadable again. "I see…perhaps we need to mention that to Qui-Gon after we land…"

Zelina frowned. "Alright…am I in trouble?"

Obi-Wan gave a little half-smile. "No Zelina, you're not in trouble."

"Can I come too?" Anakin asked.

Obi-Wan glanced at him. "I think Qui-Gon wants you to go with the Queen and her handmaidens. We do have some things we need to talk to the Council about first."

Anakin frowned a little. "Then why does Zelina get to come with you guys?"

Obi-Wan chuckled. "Well, it seems we need to talk to her too. And I have the feeling she has more patience than you do."

Zelina giggled. "It's true Ani. You can't stand to sit still for too long."

Anakin grinned. "I guess you're right."

Obi-Wan smiled at them, putting a hand on both of their shoulders. "Come on: we don't want to keep the others waiting."

Zelina and Anakin nodded, letting him lead them away from the window and back towards the ramp. Obi-Wan left the two of them by Padme, going over to stand by Qui-Gon. Zelina watched Obi-Wan lean over and whisper in Qui-Gon's ear. Qui-Gon glanced back at her, and she did her best to stay as calm as possible at the looks of concern and curiosity that was on both of the Jedi's faces. However, the ship touched down, the ramp lowered, and their attention was taken away from Zelina.

At least for the moment. Zelina stayed beside Anakin as they all filed off of the ramp. She leaned over to him as they stepped off of the ramp and onto the landing pad. "I'm going to stay with Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon. I'll see you later?"

Anakin nodded. "All right. I'll see you then."

Zelina nodded and then gravitated over to the two Jedi, coming to stand just behind them. She looked around in wonderment at the city she could see all around. It was breathtaking; unbelievable. After living on Tatooine her whole life, Coruscant was definitely a major change. She could tell that the two Jedi were watching her closely with hints of amusement in their eyes at her reaction, but she didn't mind.

The three of them were the first to reach the two men that stood waiting for their party. Zelina was startled when Anakin tapped her on the shoulder, smiling when she swung her head around. She turned her attention back to the two Jedi in front of her, bowing when she saw them bow to the men they had stopped in front of. Everyone else started filing behind them as they straightened.

"It is a great gift to see you alive your majesty," said the younger looking of the two men as the Queen of Naboo strode beside them. "Since the communications broke down we've been very concerned. I'm very anxious to hear your report on the situation. May I present Supreme Chancellor Valorum?"

So the man with the white hair was Supreme Chancellor Valorum, and the man with the graying hair was Senator Palpatine. She found her gaze drawn in by the Senator for reasons she didn't understand. He wasn't looking at her, but she couldn't help but shrink away from him. She just had a bad feeling, and there was something about the man that she didn't like. He seemed creepy.

"Welcome your Highness," Chancellor Valorum said. "It's an honor to finally meet you in person."

"Thank you Chancellor," said the Queen. The Queen, her group, and the Senator all started to walk off of the platform. Anakin joined their group, shooting Zelina a small smile as he left.

The Chancellor remained with Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan, and Zelina stayed hidden behind the two Jedi, listening to what they were saying.

"I must speak with the Jedi Council immediately," Qui-Gon said, stepping forward. Zelina stayed by Obi-Wan's side, clinging to his robe and watching Anakin's group walk away while listening closely to what was being said. "We believe the situation has become much more complicated."

Anakin, having been close enough to still hear what was being said as well, spun around at Qui-Gon's words, seemingly curious about what Qui-Gon was talking about. Zelina, however, had a feeling it had something to do with the red man from Tatooine. Qui-Gon gave Anakin a reassuring smile, gesturing for him to keep going and not worry about it. Seemingly reluctant, Anakin slowly turned around before he hurried to catch up with his group.

Zelina stayed by Obi-Wan's side, feeling that cold feeling she'd had since they'd landed slowly disappear as the Naboo group and Anakin left. She slowly relaxed, feeling comfort in the presence of the two Jedi. Obi-Wan smiled down at her for a moment before he turned his attention back to whatever Qui-Gon and the Chancellor were discussing. Zelina wasn't paying much attention, her thoughts lingering on the cold feeling she'd just experienced as her mind wandered elsewhere.

* * *

" _We will follow your careers with great interest."_

" _You can come to me about anything…"_

" _They do not trust you…"_

" _They know your power…they know they will not be able to control you."_

* * *

Zelina blinked owlishly as she felt Obi-Wan shake her gently, his hand lightly grasping her arm. Slowly, she came back to reality to find both Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon looking at her with worry. "Are you alright?" Obi-Wan asked her.

Zelina nodded hesitantly. "Yes…I'm fine. I just…spaced out I guess…"

Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan exchanged a glance that was perhaps a little two knowing for Zelina's comfort. "Well, perhaps you can tell me about your dream young one," Qui-Gon said. "Obi-Wan told me that you had a nightmare last night."

Zelina nodded. "It felt so real…" she said quietly.

The three started walking to their own transport that would take them wherever they were going, the Jedi waiting patiently for her to continue. Obi-Wan watched her with a soft, encouraging smile.

Zelina shook her head. "I don't really remember much of it now, but I remember hearing both of you…myself…and two people I don't recognize. At first Qui-Gon sir, you were talking to the other two about Ani being trained, because they didn't want to train him, whoever they are. And then you were telling Ani and me to stay somewhere, but I don't think Ani listened, I think he ended up going somewhere else, and I followed you and Obi-Wan I think and…" her voice faded out until she had fallen completely silent.

"And..?" Obi-Wan encouraged her to continue.

Zelina shifted uncomfortably. "Something really bad happened…I didn't see what but…it was bad…"

She spoke quietly, not meeting their eyes. Maybe she should tell them what she'd heard, but she didn't feel comfortable saying it. She didn't even really want to think about it too much.

Obi-Wan frowned, obviously worried. "Did you end up getting hurt?"

Zelina shook her head. "No, _I_ didn't…"

"Do you know who did?" Obi-Wan asked.

Zelina hesitated, the silence stretching on for a few moments. "I think Qui-Gon did…" Zelina said very quietly. She didn't look at the two Jedi, so she was startled when she suddenly found Qui-Gon in front of her. Obi-Wan, she could tell, was standing right behind her.

Qui-Gon put his hand on Zelina's shoulder. "You're worried about me getting hurt, aren't you?"

Zelina nodded, though she knew Obi-Wan was as well. She could practically feel the tension rolling off of him. "I don't want anything to happen to you," she mumbled out. She'd grown to like both of the Jedi, and considering they were the only ones other than Anakin that she really talked too, she didn't want to lose either of them.

Qui-Gon sighed. "Try not to worry about the dream Zelina. Whatever happens will happen if it is the will of the Force."

"Master…" Obi-Wan started to protest. However, Qui-Gon cut him off.

"No, Obi-Wan. I'm sure that if I do end up injured…or worse…then it will be for a reason. Zelina, did you hear anything else by any chance?" he asked her gently.

"You said something about Ani being a Chosen One and Obi-Wan training him and watching out for me…" she said quietly, secretly hoping that perhaps she'd spoken softly enough Obi-Wan hadn't heard.

Qui-Gon glanced back at Obi-Wan, and Zelina had to resist the urge to turn her head to see his reaction. Qui-Gon himself had stilled, his face becoming practically unreadable. She had the feeling that she was missing something.

"Thank you Zelina. We'll talk about this a little more later. Right now Obi-Wan and I must see the Council before we do anything more," Qui-Gon said steadily.

Zelina frowned, not liking the fact that the subject was so suddenly being dropped. She shook her head and sighed. "All right…"

Qui-Gon gave her a small smile. "Alright then young one, come on."

He put a steady hand on her back and they filed into a speeder. Zelina didn't miss the fact that Obi-Wan was utterly silent the entire way back.

* * *

Obi-Wan sat in the back of the speeder, not really looking anywhere as he stared off, lost in thought. He was trying to calm down, though he wasn't having much success.

He knew his Master better than anyone. Once Qui-Gon had his mind set on something, he was not easily swayed. If he had handed off the care of these two younglings to Obi-Wan after so adamantly insisting to train them himself…

 _You're thinking about this too much! For all we know it was just a dream! Stop worrying about it, nothing will happen to Qui-Gon_ , Obi-Wan chided himself.

 _But if something does happen…Qui-Gon was so calm talking about the possibility of losing his life…almost like it didn't matter!_ Obi-Wan thought incredulously.

 _Jedi do lose their lives…you've seen it yourself_ , he reminded himself.

_But losing Qui-Gon…_

Obi-Wan sighed, shaking his head. _I really should stop thinking about this. It's nothing set in stone. Perhaps it really was just a dream…_

Though despite his repetitive attempts to suppress it during the trip to the Temple, Obi-Wan couldn't help but feel that Zelina's dream was more than what it seemed, and something very bad was about to happen.


	9. Zelina and the Council

When they reached the Jedi Temple, Zelina's eyes went wide, and she eagerly took in the large building, not sure if she was intimidated or impressed. It was beautiful. Obi-Wan seemed to chuckle next to her at her reaction, but she didn't care.

"It's huge!" she said.

"You should see the inside," Obi-Wan told her. "I'll have to show you and Anakin around sometime, I'm sure you two will like it."

Zelina grinned at him. "I'd love that."

Qui-Gon turned to her. "Now Zelina, when we get there Obi-Wan and myself will need to speak with the Council alone. You might want to wait in the hall."

Zelina sighed. "All right…"

Qui-Gon smiled at her. "It shouldn't be too long young one, don't worry."

They landed the speeder and The two Jedi fluidly got out of the vehicle, Obi-Wan helping Zelina out. "Stay close to me, alright? We don't want you getting lost," Obi-Wan said with a smile.

Zelina nodded and clung to his robe. She was sure that it would be easy for her to go astray in the giant building.

As the small party made their way into the Temple, Zelina looked around in wonderment at the towering pillars on both sides of her, up at the ceiling that seemed as far away as the stars. She was suddenly extremely aware of just how small she was. The sights truly were beautiful, and as they walked she caught several other Jedi looking at her curiously as she passed by. She couldn't help but draw a little closer to Obi-Wan, uncomfortable with all the stares she was getting.

Obi-Wan put a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry young one, they're just curious."

Zelina nodded, but didn't release him, which only made him chuckle.

As they walked along, Zelina peered curiously into the rooms that they passed, trying to see what lay beyond the intimidating halls. Two rooms that they passed seemed big from what Zelina could see. She saw part of a fountain in one room, and there were tables and shelves in another room, but she wasn't able to take in the rooms entirely as Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan hurried ahead.

Eventually their hurried pace slowed and she was able to easily keep up with them. "Where are we going?" she asked curiously, tired of the silence.

"To the Council Room," Qui-Gon told her. "Where the Jedi Council is."

She nodded. "Alright."

"When we get there I'm going to have you wait out in the hall until Obi-Wan gets you, alright? I'm sure the council will want to talk to you."

Zelina shifted nervously. "What about?"

Qui-Gon gave her a reassuring smile. "They'll just ask you some questions. Just answer them honestly and you'll be fine, alright Zelina?"

"Okay..." she said slowly.

They came to a stop in front of a large door, and Zelina looked nervously between the two.

"It won't be long," Qui-Gon reassured her as the doors opened.

"Stay here," Obi-Wan told her, lingering just long enough to give her the instruction before he followed Qui-Gon into the room. Timidly, Zelina went and hid behind a pillar, watching the door from her seat on the floor.

* * *

Obi-Wan stood beside Qui-Gon in the Council Room, once more stretching out his senses to make sure that Zelina was still outside as Qui-Gon gave the report on what had happened on their mission. He trusted the girl; though he'd also taken Qui-Gon's word to heart that she could find trouble very easily after hearing some what had happened to her.

"He was trained in the Jedi arts."

Qui-Gon's statement caused Obi-Wan to focus on the conversation that was going to come out of this little bit of information. It would surely be interesting.

"My only conclusion can be that it was a Sith Lord," Qui-Gon said.

His conclusion was immediately met with skepticism.

"Impossible. The Sith have been extinct for over a millennium!" exclaimed Ki-Adi-Mundi.

"I do not believe the Sith could return without us knowing," Mace Windu said skeptically.

"Ah, hard to see, the dark side is," mused Yoda.

"We will use all of our resources to unravel this mystery," Windu said. "We _will_ discover the identity of your attacker. May the Force be with you."

Both Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon bowed, though Obi-Wan hesitated before he stayed in the same place, seeing that Qui-Gon did not move either.

"Master Qui-Gon—More to say, have you?" Yoda inquired.

"With your permission my Master." When Yoda did not say anything, Qui-Gon continued. "I have encountered a convergence in the Force."

Several of the Master's looked between themselves and Obi-Wan held his breath, having to physically repress himself from leaning forward from anticipation.

"A convergence, you say?" Yoda asked, his voice sounding a little breathless from his curiosity.

"Located around a person?" Windu asked, his sharp eyes studying Qui-Gon.

"A boy. The cells of the highest concentration of midi-chlorians I have seen in a life-form," Qui-Gon told them. "It is possible he was conceived by midi-chlorians."

Surprised looks flickered across almost every face, though Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon both kept their expressions smooth.

"You refer to the prophecy of the one who will bring balance to the Force?" Windu asked incredulously. "You believe it's this…boy?"

"I don't presume—"

"But you do!" Yoda interrupted Qui-Gon. "Revealed, your opinion is!"

"I request the boy be tested Master," Qui-Gon said.

"Oh! Trained as a Jedi, you request for him, mmm?" Yoda asked.

"Finding him was the will of the Force, I have no doubt of that," Qui-Gon pressed.

Windu sighed and shook his head. "Bring him before us then…"

Qui-Gon bowed, though Obi-Wan held firm, catching his Master's eye. _What about Zelina,_ he couldn't help but think, sensing the girl in the exact spot she'd been since they had walked into the room. Qui-Gon gave Obi-Wan a reassuring smile.

"Also, Master, there was a girl that we found along with the boy…" Qui-Gon said carefully.

"Very eventful it seems, your mission was, Qui-Gon," Yoda said with his strange laugh. "Another one strong in the Force, perhaps?"

Qui-Gon nodded. "She is not quite as powerful as the boy…but her midi-chlorian count was over nineteen thousand." There were some murmurs around the room at this specific piece of information, and Obi-Wan was sure they were probably trying to guess how high Anakin's was now. Qui-Gon, however, pushed on. "I have seen her use the Force as well. Her connection with it is deep. She is quite gifted with foresight, and utilized her connection instinctively just before we departed the planet of Tatooine."

Yoda mused in his chair while Windu's reluctance and skepticism appeared to grow. "And how old is this girl?"

"Hardly six standard years," Qui-Gon said. "She came from a troubling background of slavery and has seen her fair share of abuse. I believe taking her with us might have very well saved her life."

"And you believe meeting this girl to have been the will of the Force as well," Windu observed.

"Yes Master," Qui-Gon responded.

"For her to be trained as well, you wish?" Yoda inquired.

"Yes Master. She has a vast amount of potential, and from what I've seen, I believe she needs to learn how to control her abilities," Qui-Gon said seriously.

"The new Presence just outside the room, is she?" Yoda asked.

Qui-Gon nodded. "We told her to wait out there until we were finished. The boy is with the Queen right now."

Windu looked like he was going to ask why the two were not together but thought better of it, sighing once again. "Well, perhaps you can let her come in so we may test her as well while someone retrieves the boy."

Qui-Gon bowed. "Thank you Master." Qui-Gon gave Obi-Wan a pointed look, and Obi-Wan steadily made his way to the door to recover Zelina.

The girl looked up from her spot on the ground by a pillar and Obi-Wan made sure that his smile was reassuring and not showing the concern he felt for her. Surely the Council would let her train…

Zelina stood quickly, brushing herself off and blushing a little. "Do I…am I supposed to…" the girl didn't seem to be able to form a sentence.

Obi-Wan smiled a little more and gestured for her to come over beside him. "They'll see you now Zelina. Don't worry, everything will be fine, I promise," he reassured her.

Zelina hesitantly approached his side, hiding behind him a little as he lead her back into the room. Qui-Gon was making his way out.

"Master?" Obi-Wan asked, a little confused.

"I'm going to get Anakin. Stay here with Zelina, I'll be right back," Qui-Gon informed him.

Obi-Wan nodded and then carefully peeled Zelina out from behind him. It seemed almost all of the Jedi Masters were sitting on the edge of their seats as she came into sight, studying her head to toe. He could even sense some of them reach out through the Force to prod at her Signature. Obi-Wan frowned a little but didn't say anything about it. Zelina looked up at him, and he could see the flicker of fear that flashed across her eyes. He nodded to the center of the room. "Go on ahead, I'll be back here," he reassured her. Hesitantly the girl stepped to the middle of the room, and Obi-Wan noticed several of the Master's doing their best not to react to the bruise that went down one side of Zelina's face.

"What is your name young one?" one of the female Jedi Masters asked her gently.

"Zelina. Zelina Du'ahn," she said carefully.

"Well Zelina, first of all we're going to ask you some questions…"

* * *

Much later, Obi-Wan felt that even his patience had disappeared, and shifted from foot to foot as discreetly as he could. Zelina was just now starting to finish up the test for the images that Windu held on a screen in front of himself.

"…a crate…a planet…Tatooine, I think…" Zelina said automatically. At the mention of the planet, Obi-Wan felt ripples come off of her through the Force. It seemed the Council members noticed as well.

_Well of course they sensed it, they're Masters._

"Mmmm…" Yoda mused. "Conflicted you seem young one."

Zelina seemed to hesitate, thinking about what she felt probably before she slowly nodded.

"Why is that?"

Zelina sighed. "I'm…glad to be away from Tatooine, I'm glad I was freed…but I also sort of regret leaving my father behind…I'm not quite sure how I feel about it yet…"

Yoda nodded. "Fear you have, as well. See it, we can. Why fear you?"

Obi-Wan kept his place by the door, but couldn't help the anxiety out of his features. He hadn't forgotten the dream Zelina had told them about. Perhaps that was why she was afraid now, perhaps she was just intimidated.

"I…had a dream sir," she said slowly.

"What in your dream causes you to fear?" Yoda asked.

The girl shifted her feet for a moment, and Obi-Wan held his breath, thinking the girl might mention the part about Qui-Gon. It seemed another part was on her mind though.

"In my dream you wouldn't train Ani because he was too old. But he'd make a great Jedi, I know, I've seen that too in another dream! I'm worried about him…" she said, trailing off.

Windu and Yoda shared a glance, and Obi-Wan stood stiffly off to the side. Her dreams contradicted each other, and truthfully, he was curious to see which one would play out. Would they accept Anakin? Would they even accept Zelina?

"Mindful of your fear, you should be young one. Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate….leads to suffering."

Obi-Wan saw little Zelina physically shiver, though he did note that the traces of fear that she'd had gradually diminished and he smiled a little. Maybe he didn't need to worry about her as much as he did.

The Council resumed their training, and Obi-Wan took note how not once did any of the Masters lose focus on Zelina until they were finished.

When Zelina was absolutely sure that the Masters were done, she made her way back to Obi-Wan's side. Stretching out he senses somewhere other than Zelina, he could tell Qui-Gon was waiting with Anakin for Zelina's session to be over just outside the door.

"Send the boy in," Windu told Obi-Wan tiredly. Obi-Wan nodded.

"Of course Master."

The doors opened and Obi-Wan lead Zelina out of the room, his eyes immediately falling on Qui-Gon and Anakin. Qui-Gon raised an inquiring eyebrow and Obi-Wan smiled. It was all the communication Qui-Gon needed to understand how the testing had gone.

"They're waiting for him," Obi-Wan informed him.

Qui-Gon nodded. "Go on Anakin, don't worry."

Zelina gave him an encouraging smile. "It's not that bad Ani, honestly," she reassured him.

Anakin nodded hesitantly and cautiously made his way into the Council room. The door shut rather ominously behind him.

Qui-Gon gestured for Obi-Wan to follow him, and Obi-Wan placed his hand on Zelina's shoulder to get her to follow them. She obliged, her mind seeming to be elsewhere as she trailed behind the two.

"How did she do?" Qui-Gon asked Obi-Wan softly. Obi-Wan smiled just a little.

"I don't think she has much to worry about…" Obi-Wan trailed off. He did have one concern though. They all made their way onto a balcony, watching the sunset of Coruscant as they talked. "The boy will not pass the council's tests: he's too old. Zelina brought it off in hers and the looks on their faces…" he shook his head.

"Anakin will become a Jedi too, I promise you."

Obi-Wan knew that tone of voice. "Do not defy the Council Master, not again," he said tiredly.

When Qui-Gon looked at him, Obi-Wan was sure he saw amusement sparkling in his Master's eyes. "I will do what I must Obi-Wan."

Obi-Wan sighed. "If you would just follow the Code you would _be_ on the Council. They will not go along with you this time, I'm sure of it."

Qui-Gon chuckled and gave his shoulder a brief squeeze. "You still have much to learn my young apprentice."

Zelina appeared at Obi-Wan's side, straining to see over the railing at the city sprawling out before them. Obi-Wan smiled a little and picked the girl up, setting her carefully on the railing so that she could get a perfect view of the sight she probably found breathtaking. She looked so happy to see it, and she grinned at him, a look that Obi-Wan returned. The girl was definitely starting to grow on him, that was for sure. He kept an eye on her, just to make sure she wouldn't lean to far forward and fall. He could feel his Master's eyes on them, but he did his best not to think about it.

"Do you think Anakin will pass his tests Zelina?" Qui-Gon asked smoothly. Obi-Wan sighed and shook his head.

"Of course!" Zelina said unwaveringly. "If I can do it he can do it!"

Qui-Gon chuckled. "She seems to have faith in him Obi-Wan."

"Master," Obi-Wan sighed. "I didn't say that I didn't have any faith in him, I simply said the Council will not allow it."

Qui-Gon simply smiled, but said nothing more on the matter.

* * *

After night had fallen, the three were called back into the Council room. Zelina and Anakin stood side by side in front of Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan, waiting to hear the Council's decision on whether or not they would be trained. Zelina couldn't help but fidget nervously, anxious to hear what they would say.

"The Force is strong with them. Very strong…" the Jedi Master with the tall head and white hair said.

"They are to be trained then?" Qui-Gon asked. Zelina couldn't help but straighten, tense in anticipation.

"The girl will…" the dark skinned Master said slowly.

"And the boy?"

"No."

Qui-Gon was obviously surprised, and Zelina stiffened even more, if that was possible.

"No?" Qui-Gon asked, his hands falling to his hips. Glancing at Anakin, Zelina could tell he was hurt by their rejection. Very hurt.

"He is too old," the dark skinned Master said.

"He _is_ the Chosen One! Surely you must see it!"

"Mmmm…clouded this boy's future is…the girl's as well, when in her future he is…" the little green man said.

Zelina frowned, glancing at her friend, overcome with guilt. She shook her head. "I don't want to be trained if Ani won't be trained."

Before any of the Masters could respond to her statement Qui-Gon stepped in. "I will train him then. I take Anakin as my Padawan learner," Qui-Gon stated firmly, putting his hands on Anakin's shoulders. Zelina, who was standing right in front of Obi-Wan, could practically feel the hurt, betrayal, and surprise that radiated from Obi-Wan at Qui-Gon's words.

"An apprentice you have, Qui-Gon. Impossible to take on a second!" the little green man declared.

"The Code forbids it," the dark skinned Jedi added.

"Obi-Wan _is_ ready," Qui-Gon said pointedly.

"I am ready to face the Trials," Obi-Wan said, standing straighter behind Zelina.

"Our own council we will keep on who is ready," the little green man said, and Zelina thought she might have heard a note of warning in his voice.

"He is headstrong, and has much to learn of the living force, but he is capable. There is little more he can learn from me," Qui-Gon said easily. Obi-Wan's head turned sharply to look at Qui-Gon, as did Zelina's. Just earlier on the balcony Qui-Gon had said that Obi-Wan had much to learn; now Obi-Wan was suddenly ready for whatever these _Trials_ were?

"Young Skywalker's fate will be decided later," the little green man said.

"Now is not the time for this. The Senate is voting for a new Supreme Chancellor, and Queen Amidala is returning home, which will put pressure on the Federation, and could widen the confrontation," the dark skinned Jedi said.

"And draw out the Queen's attacker," the tall headed Jedi said softly.

"Go to Naboo with the Queen and discover the identity of this dark lord," the dark skinned Jedi stressed.

Zelina heard Qui-Gon sigh, even though it was almost indiscernible. He did _not_ look happy.

"This is the clue we need to unravel the mystery of the Sith," the dark skinned Jedi's voice was almost desperate sounding to Zelina.

"May the Force be with you," the small green man said. His tone was final.

All four of them bowed, taking their leave. Zelina and Anakin fell behind Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan; Zelina could tell that Anakin was very upset right now. He was staring at the floor, his face smooth, though she still recognized the look. Silently, she gave him a one armed hug. He gave her a fleeting, grateful smile, and when his eyes met hers she saw his eyes were glistening with tears from the sting of the Jedi Council's rejection.

"You'll be a Jedi Ani, don't worry. I know you will," she said softly. Anakin simply nodded.

Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan said nothing.


	10. Stress, Fear, and Comfort

All of them were on the landing pad not too long after the wreck of a Council Meeting. Zelina and Anakin stood next to each other by the little astromech droid called R2-D2. Anakin was tinkering with the droid, with its consent of course. It seemed the droid had a mind of its own, and was very opinionated.

Anakin had been venting out his frustration to Zelina for the past few minutes since they had been alone.

"Why am I not good enough for them?" he asked for the hundredth time, scowling down at R2's dome. "And what was Qui-Gon talking about when he called me the Chosen One?"

Zelina sighed. "I don't know Ani…"

Anakin sighed, turning to look at her. "I should have said it earlier and I'm sorry I didn't, but congradulations. I'm sure you're going to make a great Jedi."

Zelina shook her head. "I'm not going to be a Jedi if you're not going to."

"Zee, don't go passing this up because of me! I'll be fine if things doing work out for me. You should still be a Jedi no matter what, all right."

Zelina smirked. "I believe that's up to me, huh Ani?"

Anakin rolled his eyes. "You're _impossible_."

She giggled. "I learned from the best."

Anakin stuck his tongue out at her in response, and she did as well. They both started giggling, though hushed whenever Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan came their way.

"…they all sense it, why can't you?" they heard Obi-Wan say.

"His fate is uncertain; he's not dangerous. The Council will decide Anakin's future; that should be enough for you. Now get on board," Qui-Gon said, his tone sharper than normal. Zelina and Anakin glanced at each other, and Zelina was curious to know how the part of the conversation they had missed had gone.

Obi-Wan bowed his head, a look of dejection flickering across his face. Zelina felt a pang of sympathy for him and trotted after the Padawan while Anakin walked up to Qui-Gon.

"Qui-Gon sir, I don't want to be a problem…" she heard Anakin say as she walked away. Picking up her pace, Zelina came to stride alongside Obi-Wan.

"Are you alright?" she asked him timidly, following him up the ramp.

"I'll be fine young one, don't worry about me," Obi-Wan reassured her. "Shouldn't you be with Anakin?"

She shrugged. "I wanted to see how you were."

He smiled a little. "Well, I'm thankful for your concern."

He paused in front of a door, and Zelina continued to follow him, hopping up in a chair as he strode over to a counter and started rummaging through drawers.

"Our name's rhyme," Zelina said randomly.

"What?" Obi-Wan asked, confused. Obviously she had caught him off guard with the statement.

"Our name's rhyme. Du'ahn, Obi-Wan." She giggled. "I think it's funny."

He stared at her for a moment before a smile twitched across his face. "That is amusing."

She swung her legs back and forth, peering at him curiously for a few moments. She had a feeling… "What are you sad about?"

Once more, Obi-Wan glanced up at her in surprise. "What do you mean?"

Zelina frowned a little more. "You seem…sad…grateful…and confused…personally, _I'm_ confused how your feeling both sad and grateful at the same time."

Obi-Wan shook his head in bewilderment before he finally spoke. "You really do have a strong connection with the Force," he murmured to himself. He gave a resigned sigh and crouched down in front of Zelina. "If you must know….I'm grateful because Qui-Gon believes in me enough to request I go through the Jedi Knight Trials…I'm upset that…he seems to care more about Anakin than me now…and confused because I'm not quite sure which feeling is stronger…"

Zelina scooted to the edge of her seat. "I'm sure Qui-Gon cares very much for you. And he's just looking out for Ani: he promised Ani's mom he would!" She smiled at him. "I'm sure Qui-Gon's very, very, very proud of you," she finished with a serious look on her face and a quick nod.

Obi-Wan smiled at her, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Thank you Zelina…I needed to hear that."

Zelina gave him a bright smile. "I'm glad I made you feel better."

He chuckled and stood up. "Come on, I think I can get away with showing you a few things about a lightsaber. Though I want to find a room we'll be alone in first…"

Zelina launched herself off the chair, practically jumping up and down in excitement. " _Really_?"

Obi-Wan chuckled as he took her hand to lead her along. "Of course, why not? I think we both need to get our minds off some things," he said pointedly.

Zelina nodded. She had a lot on her mind as well. "Will you let me hold your lightsaber?"

Obi-Wan hesitated. "Yes…though we're going to be very, very, very careful, because I don't want you getting hurt."

"Well, yeah," Zelina said hastily.

Obi-Wan smiled a little. "Don't worry; I'll make sure you don't hurt yourself."

He paused in front of a room, leading her inside. It was small, but open, and would fit their needs. Obi-Wan unhooked his saber and knelt down beside Zelina with a reassuring smile, holding out the cylindrical weapon for her to see clearly. First, he showed her were everything was, then began to explain how it worked, how to adjust the intensity of the blade, practically everything about the lightsaber. She listened intently, soaking in every word he said. After he was sure that she had registered everything he said, he carefully pressed the weapon into her hand, pointing it away from her.

"Now…" he adjusted the intensity of the blade before continuing. "I want you to turn it on, like I showed you."

Zelina pressed the button and the blue blade from her dream sprung forward, dazzling her.

Obi-Wan smiled at the look on her face, chuckling a little under his breath. "Now I want you to—very carefully—follow what I tell you to do, alright? I'm going to teach you a very basic lightsaber kata…"

* * *

Halfway through Obi-Wan's surprise lesson, the door opened and Anakin slowly slipped into the room. He peered curiously at Zelina, who paused in the middle of one of the steps to look back at her friend. "Ani! How'd you find us?" she asked curiously with a small smile.

He shrugged. "I was just wandering and felt I should come in here…what are you doing?" he asked curiously.

"Obi-Wan's showing me some lightsaber katas," she said brightly. "Wanna watch?"

Anakin shrugged. "Sure, why not?"

Obi-Wan smiled just a little and waited until Zelina was focused once more on the form before he resumed his step by step instructions. Anakin stayed quiet and watched from his seat on the floor by the door.

Obi-Wan was gently correcting Zelina's stance when another person walked through the door.

 _Why do people keep coming in here?_ Zelina did her best not to scowl. However, when she saw it was Qui-Gon, her disgruntlement went away. Obi-Wan stood a little straighter as Qui-Gon's curious gaze fell on the two in the middle of the room.

"And what's going on in here?" he asked in apparent amusement.

"I was just showing her a lightsaber kata Master," Obi-Wan said hurredly. "Anakin came in to watch a little while ago…"

Qui-Gon got a serious look on his face. "You know Obi-Wan, we're not allowed to train these two…"

Obi-Wan bowed his head at the chastisement, but Zelina grinned when she saw the mischeivious twinkle in the Jedi Master's eyes. "But I won't say anything about this particular incident if you won't."

Obi-Wan looked back up at him, only startled for a split second before he chuckled. "Of course Master."

Qui-Gon sighed. "I would love to let you both continue, but I believe the young one's need their rest. It's late, and we have a long day ahead of us on Naboo."

Zelina pouted while Anakin stood up, and Obi-Wan took his saber back from her. "Perhaps we can go through some more another time," Obi-Wan whispered to her. Zelina was sure that Qui-Gon heard, but he didn't say anything.

"You two won't mind sleeping in the central chamber again, right? This time Obi-Wan will be in there with you though."

Anakin frowned a little, though Zelina smiled. "That's fine with me," she said cheerily.

Obi-Wan sighed as he clipped his lightsaber back to his belt and made his way to the door.

"I advise you get some rest as well Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon said.

"Of course Master," Obi-Wan said easily, one hand on Zelina's back and the other lightly grasping Anakin's shoulder as he led them out of the room. "Do you two think you'll need blankets again?"

Anakin nodded. "It's so cold in space…"

"You'll get used to it, I promise. You're simply still adjusting to the different climate since you've lived on such a hot planet so long."

Zelina shoved her hands into her pockets at that moment to keep her hands warm, and her finger's brushed a familiar banged up box. She pulled it out, a surprised look falling across her face. "Oh, I forgot I had this!" She must have put it in the pocket of the clothes she was wearing when she'd packed her stuff and forgotten to take it out.

Both of the boys looked at her curiously, though it was Anakin who spoke. "What is it?"

"It's my mother's necklace…" she said quietly, opening the box. Inside was a leather necklace with a carved wooden pendent. She pulled it out of the box, holding up the necklace so she could look at it in better light. The pendent was a Greater Krayt Dragon, reared back and letting out a ferocious roar. There was a part of the necklace on the front that looked darker than the rest where it had been burnt. Zelina remembered her mother wearing it all the time. It had even somehow survived although she'd been wearing it the day that she'd died…

She stopped the memories there, shoving them into a corner of her mind. She didn't want to think about that right now. With a sigh she put the box back in her pocket, though she did slip the necklace on.

When she looked up, Obi-Wan was giving her a comforting smile. Anakin sighed. "I wish I had something to remind me of mom…" he said softly.

Zelina gave her friend a hug while Obi-Wan opened the door for the central chamber. "It'll be alright Ani, I promise, things will work out."

"I hope so…" he murmured.

They both climbed back into the spot they had been in on the way to Coruscant, though this time they both stretched out on opposite sides of each other. Obi-Wan found a pillow and blanket for each of them, and they set up their makeshift beds so that they both could stretch out on the curved seat. Their heads were right by each other.

Obi-Wan pulled the blankets tight around them, making sure they were well situated. "Good night you two," he said gently.

"Good night Obi-Wan," the two murmured in reply at once. Zelina heard Obi-Wan chuckle and watched him stretch out on the floor from her limited view. Most of her sight was obstructed by the table beside her.

"Will you be fine sleeping on the floor?" she asked. She'd done it herself many times over, but that didn't mean that it was comfortable. She knew it wasn't.

Obi-Wan smiled a little, staring up at the ceiling. "I'll be fine Zelina, don't worry about me," he said gently. She watched him lift his hand and as he slowly lowered it, the lights gradually dimmed until there was only a faint glow that hardly illuminated anything. "Get some sleep," he said softly.

Zelina smirked a little but obliged, settling into her pillow. Gradually she drifted off until she was able to easily slip into her dreams…

* * *

Obi-Wan watched the two silently from his spot on the floor, monitoring them through the Force until he was sure that they were both asleep. Only then did he let himself relax, no longer resisting the drowsiness that was settling over him.

He was grateful for little Zelina getting him to open up to her. He'd needed to talk to someone about what he was feeling, and even talking to the six year old had helped.

Obi-Wan smiled a little. The girl had definitely grown on him, though with her personality, who wouldn't like her? He was starting to see her as a little sister of sorts…

Obi-Wan sighed. He needed his sleep. Qui-Gon was right, there was a long day ahead of them and they would need all the rest they could get. Sighing, he let his eyes close, gliding off into a deep sleep.

* * *

_Zelina sniffled, tears falling from her eyes at a rapid rate as she stared in the direction of her toy as it was blown away in the wind. Her precious Zarth, her only toy, the stuffed Bantha that helped her fall asleep at night…_

_Her mother's concerned face filled her view. "Angel, what's wrong?" she asked Zelina softly, brushing the tears away. Zelina stared into her mother's bright green eyes, still sniffling._

" _Zarth!" she blubbered, pointing off in the direction of the toy as the wind carried it further away._

_Her mother sighed, staring after the toy that was so far away and, even though Zelina didn't understand at the time, dangerously far away._

_But as she watched her mother, she saw that her mother understood how important that simple toy was. How much her daughter loved that toy. How much comfort and joy that toy brought her daughter…_

" _I'll get it Angel, alright? Just stay here…"_

_Zelina nodded and watched her mother stand up, brushing some of the sand off of her even if it was pointless; the sand would return anyway. Zelina watched her mother's blonde hair blow in the wind as she strode in the opposite direction farther, and farther, and farther…_

_Someone was shouting angrily behind her, someone familiar. It was that mean lady her family stayed with. Why was she shouting? Mommy was just getting Zarth for her. Mommy knew Zarth was important, Mommy would make it all better…_

_The angry yelling got louder until it was right above her, and now she could hear her father yelling too. Though her father sounded scared. But Daddy was never scared, and he didn't need to be scared, just like the mean lady didn't need to be mad._

" _Daddy, Mommy get Zarth!" Zelina told him happily, pointing after her mother._

_Her mother crouched down to pick up the toy and Zelina smiled. Zarth was fine now. Mommy had gotten him before the wind could take him any further._

"Mom…"

_Her mother stood up, her eyes locking with her daughter's. She gave a small smile._

"Mommy…"

_Why was Mommy crying? Why was Daddy sounding so scared? Why wasn't the mean lady yelling anymore?_

"Why Mom…Mommy no…"

_There was a beep sound near the mean lady, a bright flash, and the next thing she knew she watched her world literally explode in front of her. She screamed and cried, she couldn't stop crying…_

"Zee! Zee!"

"Zelina!"

Zelina's eyes snapped open, and she found her face was soaked with tears. The blanket was tangled around her legs and the pillow was on the floor. On one side she realized Anakin was sitting next to her, his hand grasping her arm. On the other was Obi-Wan, who was grasping her other arm, though not so tightly.

_It's all my fault, all my fault, if I hadn't wanted that stupid toy I would still have my mother. Her mother had known that it had been too far, she'd known if she went after it then her chip would be activated, yet she still went after that stupid, stupid toy…_

Zelina took fast, shaky breaths, close to hyperventilating, trembling, and still crying. She couldn't get her mother's sad smile out of her head and she buried her face in her hands, sobbing uncontrollably. Both of the boys put their arms around her in an attempt to comfort her. Obi-Wan began to gently rock her, making soothing sounds the entire time as well.

"It's all right Zelina…it's alright…" he said rhythmically.

"It's all my fault, it's all my fault, Mom why'd you do it?" she sobbed, not caring what they thought of her blabber.

For a moment, she thought Obi-Wan's hand stopped rubbing her back, though she must have imagined it because the next moment he was right back to his soothing motions and words. Anakin held to her arm, repeating comforting phrases to her the entire time.

Soon, exhaustion won out, and despite her struggle to stay awake and avoid having to see her mother's death all over again, she fell asleep once again, leaning on Anakin while Obi-Wan did his best to calm her down…

* * *

Obi-Wan stared at the two children that were practically curled up in his lap. He's actually been woken by Zelina's murmurs about her mother, not by her sudden cry and hysterical sobbing. It hadn't taken long for Obi-Wan to figure out that she'd had a nightmare about her mother. At first he'd been confused. At least he was until he remembered something Qui-Gon had told him.

_She saw her mother die when she was very young…_

Obi-Wan looked sadly at the girl as he reached over and pulled the blankets back over the two children. She really had been through much. Too much for her age in Obi-Wan's opinion. And apparently she shouldered the blame of her mother's death. He didn't think he'd be able to forget her sobbing out the statement.

He ran a hand down his face, sighing. Hopefully she wouldn't have any more nightmares tonight. He just wished that he could do something about it…

 _Actually…_ he thought to himself. _I think I can…_

Sighing once more, Obi-Wan reached into the Force and sent waves of peace and comfort towards the small girl, doing his best to wrap the girl up in the calm and soothing feelings. When he was sure that her sleep was a peaceful one, he finally let himself relax once more and fall asleep once more.

The three of them stayed huddled together for the rest of the night.


	11. Arriving On Naboo

"Zelina, Obi-Wan, we'll be arriving soon. You both need to wake up."

Zelina groggily opened her eyes at the sound of Qui-Gon's voice, grumbling the entire time. It took her a few moments to realize that she was curled up on Obi-Wan. She pushed herself up, leaning against the chair as she rubbed her eyes.

"Wer 'most 'ere?" she mumbled.

Somehow Qui-Gon understood her sleepy-talk. "Yes Zelina, we're almost there."

She nodded to show she understood, glancing around for a moment as she realized someone was missing. "Where's Ani?"

"He woke up a while ago. He's in the cockpit right now I believe."

"Oh…"

Zelina glanced at Obi-Wan, who still seemed half asleep himself. He stretched, hiding a yawn, before he addressed Qui-Gon. "Do you need me for anything Master?" he asked wearily.

"Yes, actually, the Queen is expecting me; could you go tell her that I will be a moment?" Qui-Gon asked him. Obi-Wan nodded.

"Of course Master."

Zelina did her best not to pout as Obi-Wan left the central chamber, even though he did give her a parting smile before exiting the room. She started to scoot out of the seat, but stopped when Qui-Gon slid in to sit next to her.

"How are you feeling?" he asked her gently.

She shrugged. "Fine, I guess."

"How are you _really_ feeling?" he rephrased after a moment of silence.

She sighed, picking at her fingernails. "I guess I'm a little scared…"

"About?"

"About Ani…whether or not he's going to be a Jedi…I was serious Qui-Gon sir, I don't want to be a Jedi if Ani won't be a Jedi. It doesn't feel right if he's not one too."

Qui-Gon smiled a little. "He will be a Jedi Zelina, I promise. Whether the Council agree to his training or not. I was serious as well: I will take him as my own Padawan learning if I have to. You both will become Jedi, I know that you will. It is the will of the Force. Somehow, it will happen, the Council cannot stop that. All you have to do Zelina is trust in the Force, and you will see many things through."

She nodded slowly. "Alright…thank you Qui-Gon."

He smiled down at her, leaning forwards ad he clasped his hands in front of him on the table. "Now…from what I hear you had a bad dream last night."

Zelina shrunk a little, not wanting to remember the details of her dream. "Yes sir, I did…" She was curious to know how he knew she'd had a nightmare.

"I came in earlier and spoke briefly with Obi-Wan before he fell asleep again. He told me it was about your mother?"

This time Zelina only nodded.

"He also said that you blame yourself for her death…do you mind telling me what happened?"

Zelina hesitated. For a brief moment she thought of not telling him anything because of how painful the memory was. But this was Qui-Gon; she was sure his only intentions were to help. She didn't know what he could do about what happened to her mother, but she was sure that he could do something for her.

So, having decided, she started to speak very quietly about the day she tried not to remember. "I…remember Mother and I were on the edge of town…it was really windy that day…and I had my only toy, it was a stuffed Bantha I called Zarth. He was really old and not so fluffy anymore, but I used him for everything. He helped me fall asleep, he helped me feel better, and he was my best friend…but I wasn't holding him tightly enough, and the wind blew him out of my hand and carried him off. She knew how important he was to me, so she went after him to get him back for me…but he was too far…Shal'ma saw her and thought that she was trying to run and she…she…"

Her lip trembled and she stopped talking, unable to finish the story. She was sure Qui-Gon could understand what had happened anyway. It was rather obvious.

Qui-Gon put a gentle, comforting hand on her shoulder. "It wasn't your fault Zelina. It was your mother's choice to go after your toy, and it was a misunderstanding on Shal'ma's part that caused the situation to go…awry."

Zelina sniffled. "It still hurts…"

"Yes, loss does still hurt…though you should also know that when we die, we find peace in the Force; we become one with it. Know that your mother found peace. And, even though you cannot see her, she will always be with you," Qui-Gon told her with a gentle smile.

"Thank you Qui-Gon…" she said softly.

He nodded and leaned back, studying her for a moment. "Would you mind telling me what your father really said before we left as well?" Qui-Gon asked lightly.

Zelina couldn't help but stiffen a little, extremely reluctant to brush across this specific topic. However she also knew that see couldn't really hide anything from Qui-Gon. It was starting to seem like he knew everything. "He didn't want me to go…"

"So you ran away?" Qui-Gon asked seriously, a scolding look appearing on his face. Zelina shook her head adamantly.

"No! I mean…he didn't want me to go, but _I_ wanted to and I know that…" she struggled to find the right words for a moment. "I'm supposed to be a Jedi. It's what I need to do, it's what I'm meant to do. But I'm supposed to be a Jedi with Ani."

Qui-Gon sighed a little. "Was there a specific reason why he didn't want you to go?"

Zelina kept her eyes trained down towards her hands. "He was perfectly fine with me leaving until I mentioned you were a Jedi. He knows about my…abilities…and he wanted me to keep them hidden so that I wouldn't get taken away by any Jedi," she mumbled.

Qui-Gon nodded. "Your father is not the first to try and hide a Force Sensitive child from the Jedi."

She sighed. "I don't regret leaving…but I wish I didn't have to hurt my daddy in the process."

Qui-Gon frowned. "What do you mean?"

Zelina shook her head. "We started fighting and I told him how he'd hurt me a lot when he was drunk. I never told him, I let him think it was Shal'ma every time so he wouldn't feel bad…but I told him the truth before I left..." she shook her head and hugged her knees. "I just wish I hadn't left the way that I did…"

Qui-Gon sighed again. "Well young one, it is in the past and you can't change it. The best you can do is try to move forward."

She nodded. "Alright Qui-Gon."

He smiled and gently patted her knee. "Now, when we land on Naboo I want you to stay close to Obi-Wan or myself. You must do exactly as we tell you, and be careful. It will be very dangerous where we're going, alright?"

She nodded once more. "Yes sir."

Qui-Gon stood, smoothing out a crease in his Jedi clothes. "We will be landing any time now. Anakin is in the cockpit if you'd like to go talk to him. Obi-Wan and I must speak to the Queen."

"Alright Qui-Gon," she said once more, hopping down from her spot at the table. Qui-Gon gave her a gentle smile before he left the room and Zelina started to amble her way to the cockpit.

* * *

"Ani, I'm bored."

Anakin smiled a little at his friend, shifting in his seat against a tree. "Yeah, I am too. Everyone is just waiting for Jar Jar to come back."

Not too long ago the small group had landed on the planet and, seeing as no one needed them, the two had hidden away in the trees out of everyone's way. Having come from a desert planet, they were both enjoying all the green plants around them. At the moment, Anakin was playing with a blade of grass and Zelina was picking the petals one by one off of some strange blue and red flower she'd found.

"Wanna do something? Play a game, mess around…" Zelina suggested, plucking off another petal and twirling it around in her hand.

Anakin shrugged, tossing his blade of grass aside. "Depends…we don't want to get in anyone's way…"

She smirked, an all too familiar look of mischievousness dancing in her eyes. "We could...wrestle…"

Anakin rolled his eyes. "I'm not going to wrestle a girl."

Zelina looked genuinely offended for a split second before she grinned. "What, are you afraid you'll lose Ani?"

"No! I could _so_ beat you in a wrestling match!"

"Then why won't you wrestle me?"

"Cause I don't have to wrestle you to know I'd win."

"Then you won't mind when I do _this_!"

He should have seen it coming, he knew he should have, but he was still caught off guard when Zelina tackled him to the ground, knocking the wind out of him for a few moments.

He really had to remember that his friend could be very boyish.

"Ey! Ge' off meh!" he shouted, his voice muffled by his friend before she shifted from on top of him, trying to pin his arms over his head. She was giggling like a mad woman while he tried to keep his hands out of her wrist.

"Well, are ya gonna wrestle now?" she asked, laughing.

He let out a low growl, grapping her around the middle and tackling her to the floor. She shrieked out a giggle and squirmed away, grabbing him from behind and holding on for dear life. Her arms locked around his chest and he rolled onto his back, trapping her beneath him for a second before he rolled again, trying to buck her off. The entire time she just giggled and he couldn't help but smile.

_Crazy girl._

She let go and he rolled straightened up before she tackled him to the ground once more, this time successfully pinning his arms above his head.

"Do you give?" she asked, grinning down at him.

He groaned, trying to get his legs between them to push her away. "No!"

"Are you sure?" she asked.

"Yes I'm sure!" _Uhg, I can't get away!_

"I won't let you up till you admit you lost!"

He rolled his eyes and continued to squirm underneath her. She simply laughed at him the entire time.

"What is going on here?"

Anakin felt his heart stop and his face flush as the voice of an angel interrupted their pitiful wrestling match. There was _no way_ he was going to lose to Zelina if Padme was watching!

Zelina looked back at Padme, who stood a little ways off with a small smile, watching them. "Wrestling. I won, but Ani won't admit it."

Anakin huffed, his face still red. "Did not!"

"Then how come you haven't got away yet," Zelina giggled at him.

"I'm just catching my breath."

"So you're worn out."

Anakin simply glared at her.

Zelina laughed and finally let him go. "Don't you forget I beat you Ani."

"Did not," he muttered as he sat up. Padme giggled, and Anakin felt his face heat up even more. If that was possible.

Zelina sat cross legged in the grass, smiling up at Padme. "I haven't really talked to you much, but Ani's talked about you so much I'm sure I know all about you by now!"

Anakin gapped at her. "I have not!"

"Yes you have," Zelina giggled. "He doesn't admit anything."

Padme laughed and sat down next to Zelina while Anakin sat across from them, scowling.

"Well from what I've heard you're a very good person Zelina. Obi-Wan mentioned that you might become a great Jedi on day. I'm glad I've met you," Padme said gently.

Zelina blushed. "Obi-Wan said that?"

Padme nodded. "Yes he did. And Qui-Gon had high praises for you too Ani. They both think you two will turn out as great Jedi."

Zelina beamed at Padme, and Anakin gave her a soft smile. It was nice to know that there were _some_ people that had faith in him.

Zelina picked a flower, the same kind she'd been pulling apart earlier, and started twirling it in her hands. "Would you show me how to put my hair up like that?" she asked, pointing at Padme's intricate bun.

Padme laughed gently. "It would take a very long time to put your hair up like this...I don't think you have enough hair either. But I can show you how to put it up, here…"

Anakin rolled his eyes but silently watched as Padme pulled all of Zelina's hair back, working it into a bun that was situated halfway down the back of her head. Padme gently took the flower from Zelina's hand and tucked it into her hair. "It's a Millaflower. They're very beautiful, aren't they?"

Zelina nodded, smiling at Padme. "Yeah, they are." She glanced at Anakin and giggled. "I think we're boring Ani with our girl talk."

Padme laughed as well. "Yes, I think so too." She stood up. "Come on, the others are wondering where you two are, and I need to be by the Queen. Jar Jar should be back any time now."

Anakin scrambled to his feet, brushing the grass off of him. "Oh…we didn't mean to worry anyone, really."

Padme smiled at him, and he fought the urge to blush and squirm. "It's alright Ani, you're not in trouble. They just want you within sight."

Anakin nodded. "Alright. Come on Zee."

Zelina sighed as she slowly got up. "But I don't want to _move_ ," she whined, though she couldn't stop the smile from spreading across her face. "I'm coming, I'm coming…"

The trio made their way back over to the main group, hovering by the Naboo Queen. Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan were standing off to the side by a lake, from Anakin's point of view. They were close enough that they could hear what was being said.

"I am…I am sorry for my behavior Master. It's not my place to disagree with you about the boy…and I am grateful you think I am ready to take the Trials…" Anakin heard Obi-Wan say. He looked away, not wanting to hear more about how Obi-Wan wasn't sure about whether or not he was trouble. Zelina, however, seemed to be smiling for some reason.

"Why are you smiling?" he whispered.

"Because Obi-Wan's telling Qui-Gon what he told me about how he feels…well, part of it anyway," Zelina whispered back.

Anakin shrugged and continued eavesdropping on the two Jedi.

"You've been a good apprentice Obi-Wan. And you are a much _wiser_ man than I am. I foresee that you will become a great Jedi Knight," Qui-Gon told Obi-Wan with a smile.

At that moment the water started rippling, and Jar Jar emerged. "Theresa nobody there! The Gungan city is deserted! Some kind of fight mesa thinks."

Anakin frowned. A fight? In an underwater city?

"Do you think they have been taken to the camps?" Obi-Wan asked seriously, glancing at Qui-Gon.

"More likely they were wiped out," the Queen's guard said.

"Mesa don't think so," Jar Jar said.

"Do you know where they went Jar Jar?" Qui-Gon asked.

"When in trouble, Gungans go to sacred place. Mesa show you! Come on, mesa show you!"

Anakin and Zelina shared a glance.

"This should be interesting," Zelina said with a smile.

Anakin nodded in agreement. "Yeah…I wonder where Jar Jar's taking us…"

Zelina shrugged and they filed off after Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan, and Jar Jar, trudging their way through the marshy spots and weaving in between the trees.

"I like it here a lot more than Tatooine," Zelina said as they walked.

Anakin snorted. "Anywhere is better than Tatooine."

"True."

He chuckled a little. "I like it here too."

Zelina nodded, and he noticed her quicken her pace to get closer to the Jedi. Anakin smiled a little and hurried to catch up to her.

"What are we going to do when we get there?" Anakin heard Zelina as Obi-Wan quietly.

"The Queen is going to ask for the Gungan people's help," Obi-Wan informed her.

"To fight the people that aren't supposed to be here?" Zelina asked.

"Yes little one. The Queen will need their help if she is to take back her planet."

Zelina nodded. "All right Obi-Wan…" she frowned a little. "But if it's a sacred place for the Gungans, won't they be upset that we're there?"

Obi-Wan smiled a little. "Perhaps. Perhaps they might be willing to hear what the Queen has to say."

Zelina nodded. "Okay then…"

They walked in silence for a little longer, and just as Anakin was about to start asking if they were close, there was a rustling in the trees around them. Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan tensed, their hands going to their lightsabers, and Anakin noticed that Zelina drew between the two Jedi for protection.

Out of the trees came several Gungans riding some weird creature Anakin had never seen before. The Jedi relaxed, letting go of their lightsabers while the Gungans took up positions around the group while Jar Jar spoke to them.

"I think we found the Gungans," Zelina whispered to him.

"Yeah, I think so too," he whispered back.

He didn't miss the fact that Obi-Wan smiled a little at their brief conversation. At least he could make the Jedi smile. He had been beginning to think Zelina was the only one who could do that.


	12. Taking Back Naboo

Zelina crowded close to Obi-Wan's side as they were lead into the sacred place that the Gungans had gathered, unable to help but feel intimidated by all of the creatures around them. Obi-Wan kept a reassuring hand on her shoulder, letting her hide in the folds of his robes. Anakin was in front of Obi-Wan, most likely playing the braver of the two of them.

"Your honor! Queen Amidala of the Naboo!" one of the Gungans that mounted the strange creatures announced as they all filed into a large clearing. Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan, Zelina, and Anakin all stood off to the Queen's side.

Jar Jar nervously mumbled out an address to a rather…large Gungan that stood on a huge tree root as he overlooked them. She couldn't hear Jar Jar from her spot in Obi-Wan's robe since he spoke so quietly, but she definitely heard the booming voice of the Gungan leader, even if the only thing she understood that the large Gungan said was Jar Jar's name. Her trouble understanding the Gungans was becoming a problem when it came to knowing what was going on.

She was relieved when someone she could actually understand started speaking. The Queen's voice easily carried around the small clearing.

"I am Queen Amidala of the Naboo. I come before you in peace."

"Ah, Naboo… Yousa bring the mechanics. Yousa all gone bad," the Gungan leader said. Zelina still struggled to understand him, but at least she understood most of what he said.

"We have searched you out because we wish to form an alliance—" the Queen started. However, Zelina was shocked when she saw Padme step forward, cutting off her Queen.

"Your honor…" she said, stepping in front of the Queen.

"Whosa dis?" the Gungan leader said, obviously annoyed. Zelina was just confused. What was Padme doing?

" _I_ am Queen Amidala," Padme said firmly.

"What?" Zelina said, perhaps a little too loudly. Anakin's head whipped around towards Padme, utter shock and even perhaps a little betrayal playing out across his face. Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon smirked, apparently having realized this the entire time. Obi-Wan rocked back on his heels as Qui-Gon smiled a little at him, squeezing Zelina's shoulder.

"This is my decoy, my protection, my loyal bodyguard. I am sorry for my deception but it was necessary to protect myself," Padme continued. Anakin seemed to be in denial at what he was seeing, shaking his head and glancing at Zelina as if to ask if she'd known about this. She simply shook her head and continued to watch Padme intently.

"All though we do not always agree your honor, our two great societies have always lived in peace," she continued.

"Ah…" said the Gungan leader, clasping his hands in front of him as Padme continued.

"The Trade Federation has destroyed all that we have worked so hard to build. If we do not act quickly all will be lost forever. I ask you to help us…no, I beg you to help us," Padme pleaded, getting down on her knee. Zelina glanced around hastily following as everyone else also got on their knee. "We are your humble servants."

 _Well I don't know about_ that _, I mean, I don't like the idea of being a servant again_ , Zelina couldn't help but think. However, she stayed in her kneeling position like everyone else.

"Our fate is in your hands," Padme finished.

There was a few moments of silence before the Gungan leader started to laugh. "Yousa no tinka you greater dan da Gungans? Meesa lika dis…Maybe we start…being friends."

It seemed their group let out a collective sigh of relief, and Zelina saw several people, including Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon share smiles at the acceptance of the Queen's plea for help.

Zelina and Anakin looked at each other, grinning. Though obviously they were both still reeling from the fact that Padme was a Queen.

* * *

All too soon the two parties were camped out, waiting for the time that the battle would start. Zelina stood thrumming with excitement next to Obi-Wan, practically bouncing from her contained anticipation of the upcoming battle as she listened to them plan out what they were going to do.

Anakin came running from the hill a little ways away. "They're here!"

"Good, they made it," Padme said in relief as Anakin stood beside Zelina. He too was bubbling with excitement for what was coming, grinning ear to ear. However, he wrestled with himself for a moment before smoothing out his expression into one of calm indifference. Zelina wasn't fooled though: she could see the light of excitement in his eyes.

Speeder's started pulling into the plain beside them as they all turned back to their discussion of the plan.

"What is the situation," Padme asked her guard.

"Almost everyone is in camps. A few hundred police and guards have formed an underground resistance. I brought back as many of the leader's as I could. The federation army is also much lighter than we thought. And much stronger." He turned to face Padme. "Your Highness, this is a battle I do not think we can win."

"The battle is a diversion," Padme chided him. "The Gungans must draw the droid armies away from the cities. R2."

The astromech droid projected a holographic image on the speeder in front of them as Padme continued. "We can enter the city using the secret passages on the waterfall side. Once we get to the main entrance, Captain Panaka will create a diversion. Then, we can enter the palace and capture the Viceroy. Without the Viceroy they will be lost and confused. What do you think Master Jedi?"

"The Viceroy will be well guarded," Qui-Gon said pointedly.

"The difficulty is getting into the throne room. Once we're inside, we shouldn't have a problem," Padme's guard said.

"There is a possibility with this diversion, many Gungans will be killed," Qui-Gon added, looking over at the Gungan leader.

"Wesa ready to do oursa part," the Gungan said firmly.

"We have a plan which should immobilize the droid army. We will send what pilots we have to knock out the droid control ship orbiting the planet," Padme added.

"A well-conceived plan," Qui-Gon told her. "However there's great risk. The weapons on your fighters may not penetrate the shields."

"And there's an even bigger danger," Obi-Wan chipped in. Zelina shrunk into the folds of his robe with a blush as everyone's attention riveted to him. "If the Viceroy escapes your Highness, he will return with another droid army."

"Well that is why we must not fail to get the Viceroy; everything depends on it," Padme said firmly, holding Obi-Wan's gaze.

Zelina squirmed uncomfortably, clinging to Obi-Wan's leg. This was going to be a very interesting next few hours.

* * *

The time for the battle came all too soon for Zelina.

She was in the group with Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan, and Anakin, predictably. There was no way she was going to get separated from them. Instead of creeping beside Obi-Wan, though, she stuck to Anakin's side. Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon had taken some time before they made their way to the city to stress the importance of giving them maneuvering room. However, both Anakin and Zelina were also told to stay close by as well.

Obi-Wan beckoned for them to hurry up, pulling them gently to his side as the group made their way through the cities streets. They stopped behind a corner and Qui-Gon got down on his knees to look both of them in the eyes.

"Once we get inside I want you both to find a safe place to hide and _stay there_. Alright?"

Zelina didn't miss the fact that Qui-Gon's eyes lingered on her for a moment. She blushed. Apparently, despite her recent good behavior, her usual mischievous nature was not lost to him.

"Sure!" Anakin said, nodding rapidly.

"Stay there!" Qui-Gon repeated, shaking a finger at both of them before he stood back up and returned his attention to the situation at hand.

"Yeah Ani, stay there," Zelina teased quietly. Anakin shot her a look and Obi-Wan shushed her, reminding her of what was going on. Suddenly anxious and excited all at once, Zelina peered eagerly around Qui-Gon to see what would happen.

A shot rang out, and a droid's tank exploded. Almost immediately, the fight broke out all around, blaster shots ringing in the air. Zelina felt adrenaline rush through her, but did not forget the fact that she was utterly defenseless, and the best she could do was ide and do her best to stay out of the way.

"Stay close!" Obi-Wan reminded them as their group bolted from their spot. Anakin and Zelina both rushed to keep up as Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon activated their lightsabers. Zelina felt her heart jump into her throat, her contained energy serving to quicken her pace. She watched in amazement as both Jedi blocked the blaster bolts with ease, sending them ricocheting back towards the droids.

 _I hope one day I can do that_ , she thought.

The doors to the building they were trying to enter opened and Zelina and Anakin were ushered in by Qui-Gon, both Jedi holding their lightsabers ready to block whatever assault came their way. Zelina clung to Anakin's arm, eyes taking in the room before them as fast as possible in case anything else started shooting at them.

Sure enough, both Jedi pushed to the front, deflecting a sudden volley from the droids that were inside. Zelina could hear Padme's blaster going off behind her as Padme shot down the droids. Zelina slid behind Obi-Wan, Anakin following her.

"Ani! Zelina! Find cover! Quickly!" Qui-Gon barked out.

He didn't need to tell them twice.

"Get to your ships!" Zelina heard Padme order the pilots.

They bolted off and Anakin slipped behind some sort of container. Zelina crouched down beside him, a blaster bolt barely missing their head. "I don't think this is the best spot to hide!" she shouted over the noise.

Anakin grimaced as he ducked to avoid a blaster bolt as well. "Maybe not…"

The sound of engines starting added to the chaos all around them.

"Come on, we need to get somewhere else!" Zelina shouted.

"You don't have to tell me!" Anakin said, scrambling to his feet and bolting as more blaster bolts rained down around them. Anakin turned sharply and climbed up a ladder into one of the fighters.

"Ani, what are you doing?" Zelina shouted at him, looking around wildly for a place to hide.

"Taking cover, what does it look like?" he shouted back as he sunk low in the cockpit of the fighter.

Zelina scowled, hiding around a pillar instead of following him into the fighter. There probably wasn't room for her anyway.

It seemed like there was chaos all around, with droids and men alike falling to the ground after being shot down by blaster bolts that shot off in all directions, fighters rocketing out of the room, and Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan leaving a path of devastation wherever they went. Still, their group pushed ahead, picking off the remaining droids in the hanger.

The droids were finally all gone, and Zelina and Anakin hesitantly poked their heads out from their hiding spots.

"Blue group, everybody this way!" Padme's guard barked, his voice echoing around the room. Anakin stood up from his hiding spot.

"Hey! Wait for me!" he shouted.

"Anakin stay where you are, you'll be safe there," Qui-Gon told him firmly. His eyes scanned the room for a moment. "Where's Zelina?"

Zelina timidly stepped out from her spot behind the pillar, taking a few steps toward the group. "Here!" she piped up.

"But I—" Anakin started to protest.

"Stay in that cockpit!" Qui-Gon said firmly, and Anakin sat down with a huff of frustration. "Zelina, Anakin, _stay there_."

Zelina shivered. That was the exact same thing that Qui-Gon had said in her nightmare, and it caused ice to flood through her. Despite what she'd been told, she skipped out into the open to anxiously gaze after the group.

They reached the door and it opened, revealing none other than the red man from Tatooine. Zelina's breathing hitched as she gazed at the black robed man that stood facing the group.

"We'll handle this," Qui-Gon said. Even though he'd spoken quietly, Zelina still heard him with perfect clarity. Her stomach squirmed as she watched Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon approach the red man, the rest of the group peeling away at Padme's orders.

All three men shed their robes, and both children's eyes were riveted on the scene. Behind them, strange looking droids rolled into the room and started firing at Padme's group, pinning them in place. Zelina scuttled behind the closest pillar.

"We gotta do something R2!" she heard Anakin say up in the cockpit of the fighter.

Zelina turned her attention back to the two Jedi, feeling like she was about to be sick as the red man activated his lightsaber. At first, it was just one blade, until a second blade sprung from the other end. The saber was just like in her dream now.

Both Jedi activated their sabers, ready for the oncoming fight.

Almost immediately the red man started the fight. Obi-Wan jumped behind him and their sabers engaged in a deadly, rapid paced engagement, with Obi-Wan fighting the red man from behind while Qui-Gon fought him from the front. They gradually progressed back into the hanger, and Zelina watched anxiously from her spot as they came even with her.

Suddenly the engines of the fighter Anakin was hiding in roared to life and Zelina's head whipped around to see his fighter lifting off the ground, slowly moving to the middle of the room. The cockpit lid slid shut and she felt panic rip through her.

"Ani! What are you doing? Qui-Gon said to stay here! ANI!"

Shots came out of his fighter, taking out the rolling droids that had pinned Padme's group before the fighter disappeared from the hanger, off into the sky.

 _Breath Zelina, breath, calm down,_ she chanted to herself in her head as she glanced wildly around. Anakin was gone, things were happening like in her dream where Qui-Gon got hurt, Padme's group left, and there was a lightsaber fight going on right in front of her. She didn't want to be left alone in the room, and she didn't want to be the only one not doing anything.

Zelina flinched as she saw Qui-Gon take a kick to the face, sending him flying backwards as the red man drew Obi-Wan towards another room. For a few heart stopping moments, it was just Obi-Wan and the red man, though Qui-Gon quickly recovered and returned to the fight.

It was in that moment that Zelina made up her mind.

She would _not_ sit by and do nothing.

If she could, she was going to help them. One way or another.

Before the door could slide shut Zelina broke off in a dead run, slipping through at the last moment to follow after the three men.

For some reason the sound of the doors shutting behind her seemed final. Like the seal on someone's fate.


	13. Loss

Zelina wasn't stupid.

She stayed back from the fight, afraid to be spotted by any of the three men. She feared what would happen if she was spotted by the red man, and she didn't want to make Obi-Wan or Qui-Gon mad if they saw her. So, she did her best to stay out of sight but close enough to see what was happening.

She poked her head out from behind a pillar just in time to see Obi-Wan go flying, kicked in the chest by the red man. She winced, resisting the temptation to run after Obi-Wan and see if he was alright as she anxiously turned her attention back to Qui-Gon. Sure enough, Obi-Wan got right back on his feet and rejoined Qui-Gon in the fight. When the trio progressed into the other room, Zelina fidgeted nervously behind her corner for a moment, knowing she's put herself in a very risky situation. Still, she closed her eyes, counted to three, and skirted out from her current hiding place behind the stone of the doorway to the room they had disappeared to. She stuck her head out to see if they had noticed. Luckily Obi-Wan's and Qui-Gon's backs were to her, though she could have sworn she saw the red man glance her direction for the nearest fraction of a second. She felt ice flow through her, but stayed where she was, watching as the three momentarily stood in tense silence.

Obi-Wan took a sudden step forward, and Zelina tensed, thinking he was about to engage the red man. However, he instead stopped halfway through the movement, and Qui-Gon was the one to take a swing at the red man.

Zelina was shocked to see the red man backflip a huge distance from the ledge he had been standing on to the catwalk that spanned through the middle of the room. Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon followed after him, leaping to the catwalk in one bound. Zelina was astonished and excited to see it all. Maybe one day she could do that when she was a Jedi.

Obi-Wan slashed at the red man, reminding Zelina what she was watching as the fight resumed at its rapid fire pace. She kept her head peeked around the corner so she could watch, but they were getting farther and farther. Soon, she knew she would have to leave her hiding spot so she could see what was going on.

She glanced at the circular ledge they had come from, eyeballing it for a moment. If she moved fast enough and was very careful, then she could hide behind the controls and monitors that were there. It wouldn't be much, but she could remain inconspicuous and still watch the fight. Patiently she bided her time, watching the fight as they steadily glided farther away. When she couldn't stand it any longer, Zelina made another dash, this time for the spot behind the monitors. However, she couldn't quite see, and cursed her bad luck. She'd be putting herself in a very bad spot if she got too close, that much she was sure of.

She shifted from foot to foot nervously, afraid she'd make a mistake she couldn't fix. Her mind, however, was made up when Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon disappeared from view. She carefully crept out from behind of her hiding spot before making a mad dash down the catwalk; hiding behind one of the large white beams that disappeared out of her line of vision both above and below her so no one in the trio would spot her. If they hadn't spotted her making a dash down the sidewalk already.

Zelina stands at an angle, watching the three figures move back and forth in a seemingly perfect dance where she hopes she is just where they can't see her. She didn't really have any room to move around in since most of the beam was transparent. She had to stay in the middle so that she could remain hidden, that was her rule if she was going to stay unseen. And here she'd have to be extra careful: the catwalk curved, meaning that if she wanted to remain hidden, she'd have to keep moving.

She had just peeped around the corner in time to see the red man trap Obi-Wan's saber and kick Obi-Wan off of the catwalk. She felt her heart jump into her throat, afraid of what had happened to him. Without a thought about what could happen if she got spotted, Zelina jumped out from behind her hiding spot, running a little ways down the catwalk. If she was right, there was a service ladder back the way she had come…

_I'm suddenly happy about all that running I did on Tatooine…_

Zelina skidded to a halt in front of the ladder hidden in the darkness. She grasped the sides of the ladder tightly in both hands, shaking a little as she took a few steadying breaths as she made a frantic descent down the ladder, glancing behind her shoulder a few times to see how far down she had to go.

There: he was there, hanging from the edge of a catwalk just one more level down. Her breathing hitched a little before she made a small leap down the rest of the short distance to the catwalk that was below her. She spun, trying not to lose her balance as she sprinted down the catwalk towards Obi-Wan, no longer paying attention to the fight.

She skidded to a stop right above him, crouching down in front of him. "Obi-Wan!" she exclaimed, proud that she'd kept the shake out of her voice when she'd spoke. She grasped his wrist to try and pull him up.

Obi-Wan looked up at her in shock. "Zelina! What are you _doing_ here! Qui-Gon told you to stay in the hangar!"

Zelina did her best to ignore that statement, grabbing his wrist a little tighter and pulling. Obi-Wan gradually pulled himself up, Zelina grasping him here and there to help him up. She scuttled to the side, snatching up his fallen lightsaber and pressing it into his hands. "You needed help…and there's no one there, everyone's gone, even Ani," she mumbled.

Obi-Wan gave a sigh of exasperation, looking back up at the fight. She could tell that his mind was working quickly to figure out what to do. "Come here…" he said, gesturing for her to come and crouching down. "Get on my back and hold on."

Zelina nodded. "Yes Obi-Wan…" she said quietly as she did as he asked, clinging tightly to his shoulders. Obi-Wan took a deep breath, and Zelina felt his muscles tighten beneath her as he coiled to jump. She buried her face in his shoulder blade the same moment that he jumped. For a moment she could only feel the weightless sensation of flying through the air before Obi-Wan landed on a solid surface. He crouched down again, and Zelina took it as a sign for her to get off of his back.

"Go back to the hanger and stay there until we come to get you alright? You shouldn't be here, you're going to get hurt, and it's dangerous!" Obi-Wan scolded, already turning to chase after Qui-Gon and the red man down the catwalk.

"But—" she started.

"Go!" Obi-Wan commanded. His voice held no room for argument and he took off in a dead sprint down the catwalk to catch up to the other two once more.

Zelina scowled and crossed her arms over her chest for a moment, about to turn around and do as he asked. However, her stubborn side came through and she shook her head, turning back to the fight. She'd be alright, she could be careful. And besides, she had to be sure that _they_ would be alright. So far it didn't look like the fight was going so well for them.

Zelina scurried after Obi-Wan, staying a safe distance away so that he would hopefully not realize that she was still there. She was awed by how quickly he ran, quickly covering the distance between himself and the fight, leaving her far behind. At least she didn't have to worry as much about getting caught by him. Obi-Wan would be furious if he knew she was still there.

Ahead of her, Obi-Wan skidded to a stop, stopping just in time to avoid running into a red barrier that appeared down the hallway he'd been headed for. Zelina risked getting a little closer, standing off to the side so she could see around Obi-Wan.

It seemed the red man and Qui-Gon were also separated by the red barriers. Qui-Gon glanced around at them while the red man hit the barrier with his saber. When the red man realized that he could not break through he started to pace, eyeing Qui-Gon with a look that made Zelina shrivel. She saw Qui-Gon sigh, deactivate his saber, and get down on one knee, possibly resting. Obi-Wan deactivated his saber, moving skittishly behind his barrier.

Realizing nothing was going to happen for a while, Zelina glanced around her. The room was huge, and her eyes strained to see the ceiling. She glanced down, shying away from the edge of the catwalk when she saw just how steep of a drop it was. She'd have to be a lot more careful running on the catwalks; the last thing she wanted was to slip and fall down them.

Zelina returned her attention to the trio, waiting with frayed nerves for the red barrier to disappear. For a moment, as she looked at the red man, she could swear that he looked right back at her as he paced, causing her to shiver. She definitely wanted to stay as far away from that man if she could.

Obi-Wan also paced a little, unable stay still. Obviously he was worried about being separated from Qui-Gon for so long, though Zelina couldn't blame him. For some reason, seeing the two separated put Zelina on edge and scared her. Surely Qui-Gon could handle himself though…

Zelina was snapped out of her thoughts as Obi-Wan's lightsaber suddenly snapped to life, warning her that something was about to happen. She tensed, watching as one by one the red barriers came down. Qui-Gon and the red man resumed their fight, and as soon as the last barrier disappeared Obi-Wan sprinted in to join them. Zelina shook herself out of her stupor and chased after Obi-Wan, unable to see what was happening with Qui-Gon and the red man from where she stood. The hairs on the back of her neck seemed to stand on end as she entered the hallway, her heart pumping as she pushed herself to get as close as she could.

She was about even with Obi-Wan when something seemed to scream at her to stop, and she skidded to a halt. The red barriers came back on, and one sprung to life so close that had she not paused…well, she didn't want to think about that.

Obi-Wan was stuck behind one last barrier; that was all that was keeping him from helping Qui-Gon. Zelina was in the section of the hall behind Obi-Wan, and she moved as discreetly as possible to hide behind the left pillar of the arch, peeping around the corner almost fearfully as she watched the fight. Obi-Wan shifted from foot to foot, breathing heavily as he watched. He appeared too focused on the fight in front of him to notice Zelina hiding just behind him thankfully. A thick tension filled the air around them, growing with each passing second. Something was bound to happen, she knew it; she just didn't know what.

Qui-Gon and the red man moved around the circular catwalk of the small room they were in, though it seemed to Zelina that Qui-Gon was wearing out. She stared intently at the red barrier, willing it to fall so that Obi-Wan could rush in and help Qui-Gon.

 _Fall, fall, please fall_ , she begged it in her head.

The world seemed to slow down. She could see Obi-Wan standing tensely in front of her; see every rise and fall of his chest with his heavy breathing. She could see the red man twirl his lightsaber with a seeming deadly precision, as well as see Qui-Gon's look of concentration as he tried to keep up with him. The red man's saber seemed to come up painfully slow for Zelina as she saw it collide with Qui-Gon's face, causing her to flinch as it stunned the Jedi that had given her the freedom she had craved. Before her mind could register what was happening, the world went back to its normal pace and the red man's lightsaber seemed to blur as he spun it backwards, running Qui-Gon through.

" _NO!_ "

Had she screamed? Or had that been Obi-Wan? She didn't know. She could see Obi-Wan trembling from barely contained rage and anguish as the red man left Qui-Gon to crumple on the floor, pacing in front of the barrier that kept him from Obi-Wan.

Zelina stayed where she was, staring in shock at Qui-Gon's motionless form on the catwalk behind the red man. It seemed her brain refused to register what she was seeing. It was impossible. Yet at the same time, she felt she'd known it was coming…

 _I did_ , she suddenly realized. _My dream's coming true: I knew that this would happen_.

Zelina's eyes slowly returned to Obi-Wan's form in front of her. He was breathing heavily, hand clenching and re-clenching on his lightsaber as he glared angrily at the red man.

 _Please don't let Obi-Wan get hurt too_ , she silently begged in her mind.

As if to taunt her, the red barrier in front of Obi-Wan dropped, and he launched himself at the red man, attacking him in a sudden flurry of slashes at an intensity Zelina had not seen from him during this entire fight. As the barrier in front of her dropped, she simply moved up to the section Obi-Wan had been in, hiding behind the corner before she entered the room. She had a feeling that she should not go in there, that going in the same room as the red man could be deadly. That much she was sure of. Even if she wanted to run over to Qui-Gon, for her own safety, she had to stay put.

She anxiously watched Obi-Wan from around the corner, smiling a little as he slashed the red man's two bladed lightsaber in half, knocking him to the floor at the same time. Obi-Wan flipped over him instinctively, turning to finish the red man off, though the red man had recovered, flipping onto his feet and re-engaging Obi-Wan. The red barrier flickered back to life, separating Zelina from the two and making her feel a little safer.

Zelina muffled a squeak as the red man kicked Obi-Wan in the face, though Obi-Wan flipped to recover. Obi-Wan went back after the red man, but the man flipped away from him, seeming to goad Obi-Wan to come after him again. Obi-Wan quickly closed the distance between them, and pushed the red man back. Zelina scampered backwards as far as possible as the red man was pushed against the red barrier, too close for her comfort as the man's saber and Obi-Wan's saber locked. Obi-Wan was practically snarling at the red man, the anger coming off of him in waves. As Zelina scrambled to her feet, her movement caught Obi-Wan's eye and he lost focus for a moment, staring at her in shock as he realized she was still there, only a meter away from the red man and him.

The red man took advantage of Obi-Wan's distraction, disengaging his saber from Obi-Wan's and pushing Obi-Wan away and down the hole in the middle of the room by some invisible force.

"Obi-Wan!" Zelina cried out, unable to stop herself. She saw the red man tilt his head towards her and shrunk away more, suddenly very scared. Was Obi-Wan dead? He couldn't be! She couldn't bring herself to think of what would happen if she was left all alone here with the red man. She struggled not to cry, clamping her teeth shut to stop her whimper.

There was a few beats of silence as the red man walked to the edge of the hole, staring down after Obi-Wan. Relief flooded through her as she heard Obi-Wan's voice come out of the pit, even if it was strained.

"Stay there Zelina!" he warned her. She stayed pressed in the corner as far back as she could go, away from the red man. Suddenly the whole idea of following the two Jedi seemed to be the worst idea she could come up with.

She watched as the red man kicked obi-Wan's lightsaber down the hole. She could hear it clanging the entire way down. The red man started to pace at the edge of the hold, staring down…wherever Obi-Wan was. Zelina could only imagine that he was holding onto some ledge or outcropping. Having lost his patience, the red man slashed the edge of the hole and sparks rained down into the pit, possibly on Obi-Wan. Zelina felt her stomach twist, fear clutching at her heart for Obi-Wan as she kept her eyes trained on that hole, praying that at any moment he would emerge and be alright…

There was a sudden faint rattling, and Zelina saw Qui-Gon's saber go flying towards the pit out of the corner of her eye the same time that Obi-Wan suddenly launched out of the pit, flipping over the red man. He grasped Qui-Gon's saber tightly in his hand, and before the red man could react suddenly sliced right through his midriff. Zelina gave a slight yelp of shock, her hand clamping over her mouth to stifle the sound. The red man stumbled back in shock, eyes wide as he stared at Obi-Wan. Then he tipped over the edge, disappearing from sight.

The red barrier that kept Zelina out of the room disappeared the same moment that Obi-Wan deactivated his lightsaber, and the two stood immobile from shock for a few moments. Almost instinctively, they both rushed from where they were currently standing to the fallen Qui-Gon's side.

Obi-Wan got down on his knees beside Qui-Gon, lifting his Master up and cradling Qui-Gon close to his chest. Qui-Gon groaned a little and Zelina very slowly crouched down beside Obi-Wan.

"I-i-it's too late," Qui-Gon gasped, his breathing labored. Zelina felt tears sting her eyes, but refused to let them fall so early.

"No!" Obi-Wan exclaimed in denial, his voice cracking. Despite what the two of them wanted to believe…they both knew that Qui-Gon was right.

"Obi-Wan…you must…promise me you will train the boy…" Qui-Gon pleaded with him. Zelina sniffled.

"Yes Master," Obi-Wan said weakly but immediately, not a single note of hesitation in his voice. Zelina felt some part of her sigh in relief that Anakin had not been forgotten, and that he still had a hope at the future he was meant for. Slowly she realized that Obi-Wan's voice had trembled, and she stared him in shock, realizing he was about to cry. Though she couldn't blame him; she was about to cry herself.

Qui-Gon smiled just slightly, gently touching Obi-Wan's cheek in reassurance for a moment before bringing his hand back to his chest. "He _is_ the Chosen One…he _will_ bring balance…train him…watch over…both of them…"

Obi-Wan nodded his acceptance the entire time Qui-Gon spoke, obviously committing himself to what was asked of him without hesitation. Almost too soon—too suddenly—Qui-Gon gave his last gasp of air and died.

Zelina felt a sob almost break through her thinly pressed lips, her throat clogged. Qui-Gon was gone, he was really gone…

With a start, Zelina realized that Obi-Wan had fully broke, cradling his Master's body to him and sobbing. For a moment, she was at a loss as to what to do. Then she remembered what she had wanted when her mother died, the only thing she wanted that could make her feel even a little better.

Zelina shuffled a closer to Obi-Wan and hooked her arms around Obi-Wan's sobbing form, giving him a tight hug and burying her face in his shoulder. Obi-Wan only stiffened a little for a moment before he relaxed, letting the little girl hug him and hide her own tears in his shoulder. He couldn't deny that the contact helped him feel some comfort. At least he knew he was not alone.

At least they _both_ knew they were not alone.


	14. Beginning of the Journey

Obi-Wan was kneeling down in front of Yoda, watching the little green Jedi Master closely. He felt weary, worn, and emotionally spent, but he was somehow still going. Somehow he was able to keep his face devoid of any emotion as he went from place to place, fulfilling his Jedi duties. He was looking forward to the chance to be alone and finally get the time to himself he so desperately needed right now...if that chance ever came at this rate.

"Confer on you the level of Jedi Knight, the Council does. But agree with taking this boy as your Padawan learner, I do not."

Obi-Wan held back an exasperated sigh. As soon as he'd gathered himself he had been pushed back into reality, though he'd felt rushed the entire time. He'd kept a close eye on both of the children since Qui-Gon had died, keeping them close by. He had promised his master he would look out for them, and he was going to do just that. He was also going to train Anakin like Qui-Gon requested, even if he had to train the boy in secret without the Council's permission. It was probably best if he gave them a chance to change their mind first.

"Qui-Gon believed in him," Obi-Wan pointed out, burying the pang that went through him at the mention of his late master. Qui-Gon's funeral was tonight, and dusk was slowly fading.

Yoda sighed. "The Chosen One the boy may be; nevertheless, grave danger I fear in his training."

Obi-Wan set his jaw in determination, holding the ancient Jedi's gaze. "Master Yoda. I gave Qui-Gon my word. I will train Anakin: without the approval of the Council if I must!"

Yoda seemed to grumble to himself for a moment. "Qui-Gon's defiance I sense in you. Need that, you do not…"

Obi-Wan stared at him intently, refusing to let the topic drop. He meant what he said; he was going to train Anakin, one way or another.

Yoda sighed. "Agree with you the Council does." Yoda turned to Obi-Wan. "Your apprentice Skywalker will be."

Obi-Wan felt relief seep through him: a feeling he'd been in desperate need of. He bowed his head in thanks to Yoda, hesitating to bring up the other thing nagging at the back of his mind.

"And the girl, Zelina? What will happen to her?" he asked cautiously.

Yoda studied him for a moment. "A connection to the girl, I sense you already have Obi-Wan. Be mindful of your feelings."

Obi-Wan inclined his head in acknowledgement. "I know Master. I just...promised Qui-Gon I would look out for both of them."

"Several promises it seems you made Obi-Wan...To be Master Ur-Sema Du's Padawan Learner, Du'ahn is. Good for the girl, The Council believes she will be."

Obi-Wan nodded. The brown haired green eyed human Jedi wasn't someone that Obi-Wan was that familiar with, but he had seen her here and there. And he could feel some peace from the Force on the matter. Zelina would be in good hands; that much he could be sure of.

"Thank you Master."

* * *

Anakin and Zelina were hiding together in one of the many rooms of the Palace, simply sitting in the grim silence that had plagued them for three days now as they waited for Obi-Wan to return.

Anakin glanced up at Zelina briefly as he picked at a string in his pants. He didn't think he'd get the image out of his head of what he had found after he'd returned from the battle above Naboo…

* * *

_He'd climbed out of the fighter's cockpit, a grin plastered over his face as he climbed down the ladder. All he could think about was the look on everyone's face when he told them he was the one who blew up the battlestation. In fact, he could see Zelina emerging from a hallway not to far away._

_"Zee! Zee! You won't believe what I just did!" he'd called out with that same goofy smile._

_As he'd drawn closer, he'd realized something was very wrong._

_"Zee, what's wrong?" he asked, the smile slipping from his face as he took in her puffy red eyes and the tear stains on her face. His friend didn't say anything at first, simply sniffled as she tried to find the will to speak. Finally, she had launched herself into his arms, sobbing on his shoulder._

_"Qui-Gon's dead Ani...the red man killed him…"_

* * *

Anakin sighed as he came back to the future, standing up to start to pace. He couldn't stand sitting still for another minute.

"When do you think Obi-Wan will be back?" he asked Zelina as he looked out the window. Night was getting ready to set, chasing the orange reddish glow of dusk away as the inky black night took its place.

"He should be back soon. He said he would be back for us as soon as he was finished talking to Master Yoda," Zelina said, getting up to stand by him. She leaned against the window's frame, staring out the window.

"Qui-Gon's funeral is tonight…" she said softly.

Anakin sighed, shaking his head. "What's going to happen to me? Qui-Gon was the one willing to train me even if the other Jedi said no."

Zelina shook her head to his surprise. "Obi-Wan promised Qui-Gon he would train you. I'm sure things will work out."

Both children looked up expectantly as they heard the door slide open, standing a little straighter when Obi-Wan strode in. Looking at him, Anakin had the feeling that Obi-Wan actually felt a lot worse than he was letting on.

It seemed that the looming shadow over the two children was hanging over him as well.

"Are you two ready?" he asked softly, eyes lingering on each of them for just a moment before he glanced outside. "The funeral is about to start…"

Zelina nodded timidly, smoothing out the creases in her clothes. Anakin simply brushed some of the hair from his face. There wasn't any point in trying to fix the un-fixable; he was naturally scruffy looking, and he knew it. Zelina scampered to her usual position at Obi-Wan's side, sticking close to his side. Anakin quietly strode on Obi-Wan's other side, a grim yet strangely comfortable silence falling over the trio as Obi-Wan led them through the winding halls of the Palace and outside. Anakin liked the feeling of the cool night breeze against his face, and he would probably be able to enjoy it more under different circumstances.

Anakin glanced up at Obi-Wan as the young Jedi pulled the hood of his robe up to hide his face. Anakin didn't say anything, but he was sure that Obi-Wan had done that to hide whatever emotions were about to come through at the funeral.

A looming pavilion gradually came into view, and Obi-Wan shepherded them both under its dome, sticking by a pillar out of everyone's way. Anakin hopped up to sit on the tall base that almost brought him even with Obi-Wan in height. Zelina, Anakin noticed, took up her almost familiar position in Obi-Wan's robes, clinging to his leg.

Somberly, Anakin watched as Qui-Gon's body was laid out on the funeral pyre, feeling his throat clog up from emotion. It was hard to believe that he was really gone…

The flames were lit, and he felt almost mesmerized by the flames as they gradually reached farther and farther upward. He hardly even noticed anyone else around them. To him, there was only Zelina, Obi-Wan, himself, and Qui-Gon's body.

A particular question floated back into his mind and he turned to Obi-Wan, feeling the need to ask before he forgot again.

"What's going to happen to me now?" he asked Obi-Wan in a quiet voice, hoping not to disturb anyone else around them.

Obi-Wan locked gazes with Anakin, his face clear but his eyes full of deep emotion. "The Council have granted me permission to train you. You will be a Jedi: I promise."

Anakin felt relief seep through him and he nodded slightly, glancing down at his friend halfway hidden in Obi-Wan's robes. She gave him a small smile through her silent tears, as if to say 'I told you so.' He gave her his own weak smile before he returned to watching the flames.

* * *

Zelina didn't know how long she stood clutching to Obi-Wan, but eventually Obi-Wan stirred, rubbing her back a little and gesturing for Anakin to hop down from his seat. "It's time to go," he said softly. "You two need to get to bed."

Anakin stretched as Zelina stifled a yawn. She did need to go to sleep; she was exhausted. She didn't even really register where they were going, she just stumbled along at Obi-Wan's side until they were back outside of the room that the two had been sleeping in since the Palace had been liberated. She looked up at Obi-Wan, a random thought popping in her head.

"If you're going to train Ani, what's going to happen to me then?" she asked curiously.

Obi-Wan gave her a weak smile as the two crawled into the giant bed in the room. "You're going to become Master Ur-Sema Du's Padawan…she's picking you up tomorrow."

Zelina's face fell a little as she got situated. "That soon?" she asked, feeling her spirits drop. It hadn't really dawned on her that she was going to be separated from the last two familiar people and thrust into the unknown until Obi-Wan said that.

Obi-Wan pulled the covers close around both of them, smiling a little at her. "It will be alright young one, she will take good care of you, and you will still see Anakin and me more often than you think. Now get some rest," he said gently, putting a hand on both of their shoulders. "Everything is going to change tomorrow…you'll need it."

Both children nodded, and Obi-Wan quietly left the room. Zelina stared up at the ceiling for a few moments.

"I guess tomorrows going to be the last time we see each other for a while," she said softly to Anakin.

"Well, before we start our lives as Jedi," Anakin quipped.

Zelina was quiet for a moment. "I'm kind of scared…"

Anakin was silent for a while too after Zelina admitted that. "Yeah…I am too…a little."

Zelina sighed and rolled onto her side, looking at Anakin. "Let's make a deal: A promise."

Anakin rolled onto his side as well, propping himself up on his elbow. "What kind of deal?"

Zelina thought for a moment, trying to figure out how she wanted to say it first. "Well…I guess…that no matter what happens…we're going to be there for each other when one of us needs it…that we're going to stick together to the end."

Anakin chuckled a little. "You've thought this out Zelina, haven't you?"

Zelina smiled at him. "Maybe. But…I promise that I'll be there for you no matter what; with you to the way end and beyond!"

Anakin chuckled a little at her enthusiasm before he settled down and thought for a moment, thinking through his own promise. "I promise…that if you need me for anything than I'll be there for you. And yeah, all the way through to the end."

Zelina smiled a little, lying back down. "It's a deal than. Till the end."

Anakin nodded, sitting back as well. "Till the end…"

Silence fell on the two for a few moments, and Zelina finally felt her eyes drooping shut. "Good night Ani…" she murmured.

When she got no reply she realized he must have fallen asleep already, and she fell asleep herself with a smile on her face not too long afterwards.

* * *

The next day went by in a blur. Just as Obi-Wan said, Ur-Sema arrived to collect her, though Zelina was told that they would not leave until after the festivities. She had brought new Jedi Padawan clothes for both Zelina And Anakin, who were ecstatic to try on their new clothes. Anakin's were cream, though Zelina's were pure white.

Obi-Wan had pulled Anakin to the side at some point in time and given him a Padawan haircut, which Zelina found she liked on Anakin already. Though she couldn't help but pull on his braid as they walked to the site of the parade, simply to mess with him. He shot her a dirty look, and Obi-Wan gave her a small smile.

Ur-Sema also pulled Zelina aside as well and braided Zelina's Padawan braid. She was pretty proud of it, twirling it absentmindedly the entire way to the festivities. Ur-Sema, however, got her to stop fiddling with it before they stood in front of the Naboo people.

Zelina could already tell that it was going to be an interesting experience being paired with Ur-Sema. Hopefully under that serious face she had the ability to smile and have fun or Zelina was going to go insane.

Still, as she stood between Anakin and Ur-Sema at the festival, watching the gungan's parade through the streets lined with the Naboo people, she grinned. Even with all of the grim events, all of the frightening change, the excitement in the air was still infectious. Zelina and Anakin both shared a grin with each other before turning back to the exuberant crowd. The noise was deafening, but she didn't mind.

Out of the corner of her eye, Zelina caught Padme and Anakin sharing a smile as well, and in-between them Obi-Wan smiled at both of the children, seeming to enjoy his first feeling of calm or happiness in a while.

* * *

She wished she could keep the wonderful feeling of elation that everyone was experiencing but, just as Ur-Sema had told her, she was being led away right after the festivities. Apparently Zelina was being picked up en-route to a mission. There would be no time to adjust to the new lifestyle; she was going to be thrown right into the middle of it.

Anakin and Obi-Wan stood to see them off, and a grim air seemed to hang over the friends as they said their goodbyes. Zelina gave Anakin a big hug, uncaring if it was un-Jedi-like of her.

"I'm gonna miss you Ani," she said sadly.

He gave her his signature smirk as she pulled away. "I bet we'll see each other a lot, don't worry."

She nodded and turned to Obi-Wan. There was so much to say to him and not enough time. Thankfully, he got down on one knee so that she could look him in the eyes. She got up on her tiptoes so that she could whisper in his ear, pleased to see that he tilted his head so she could reach better. She cupped her hands over his ear.

"Take good care of Ani please? He's a very loyal person, and he's a hard worker. Just don't be too hard on him if he makes a mistake please, I'm sure he'll be trying really, really hard to make you proud of him. If you listen to him he'll listen to you too. And be patient with him, it might take him a few times to get something or do something, but he is trying. Please don't be too strict with him, and try to understand where he's coming from: he's a very emotional person." She spoke really fast and quietly in Obi-Wan's ear, the words coming out in a rush as she tried to get out all of the things that she wanted to say about her friend before she had to leave. She pulled away, and she noted that Obi-Wan seemed both amused and impressed at once.

"Don't worry Zelina, I'll take good care of Anakin," he reassured her in an equally quiet voice. She nodded almost absentmindedly, sighing a little in relief. Obi-Wan smiled a little more at her. "And Anakin is right: you will see us more often than you think."

Zelina nodded. "Good…" she shuffled in place for a moment, realizing she couldn't put the rest of what she was feeling into words right now. "I guess I need to go now…"

Obi-Wan nodded, standing up. "Yes, you don't want to keep your Master waiting."

Zelina nodded, holding her head high and keeping her lip from trembling as she gave them an impressively professional nod. "Goodbye Obi-Wan…" she said, bowing as she'd seen the other Jedi do as a sign of respect. She turned to Anakin. "Goodbye Ani…and don't forget our promise," she reminded him.

He nodded, grinning. "To the very end, no matter what."

"No matter what," she repeated, smiling. She took a deep breath, turning back around to the ship, spotting her Master waiting for her at the top of the ramp. Strangely, Anakin's mother's words floated to the front of her mind.

_Now…be brave…and don't look back._

She squared her shoulders and made her way to the ship and up the ramp. Inside, she was afraid of the unknown that lay ahead of her. However as the ramp closed and the ship took her away from Anakin and Obi-Wan, from everything she had ever known and into the great unknown, she knew that this was just the beginning. Whether it was the beginning of something good or something bad…

…that still had yet to be seen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The End of the Beginning...  
> Their journey continues in:  
> The Oncoming Storm


End file.
